The trial in the Oncology Clinic 1 case, in which the former director of the Clinic, Nino Vasev, and two other oncologists are accused of negligent medical treatment of patients, continued at the Criminal Court on Monday.
A patient with metastatic liver cancer lived for 38 months in a case where the survival rate is 24 months, with that being the case only if modern systemic therapy is used, the defense expert witness, who answered questions from the prosecution at the hearing, stated.
Both sides presented their respective arguments regarding the efficacy of the therapy, namely whether it was timely, properly dosed, and appropriate for the disease. Whether combining multiple medications could produce a toxic effect is, according to the defense, a topic for a scientific symposium rather than a subject for discussion in court proceedings.
Nevertheless, prosecutors insisted that the technical adviser, despite not being an oncologist, clarify how he concluded that the patients had been treated properly.