Hong Kong woman dies after cancer 'beauty' treatment
October 11, 2012 -- Updated 0313 GMT (1113
HKT)
One of the stores operated by DR, a Hong Kong
chain of beauty clinics that claims to serve 1,000 clients a day, is
pictured.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Woman, 46, dies at a local hospital one week after receiving DC-CIK therapy
- She was one of four women being treated for septic shock after receiving the treatment
- DC-CIK therapy normally only offered to cancer patients, experts say
- Hong Kong police are investigating beauty clinic attended by the women
The 46-year-old died Wednesday
morning at a local hospital one week after receiving DC-CIK therapy through the DR beauty center, local authorities
said.
According to the Hong Kong Health
Department, the DC-CIK procedure involves the "concentration and processing of
blood taken from the person, and subsequent infusion of the mixture back into
the patient."
It's not clear whether any of the
women who received the treatment had been diagnosed with cancer, though the Hong
Kong Health Department said in an earlier statement that the 46-year-old had
been in "good past health."
The woman, who has only been
identified by authorities by her surname "Chan," was admitted to hospital last
Thursday suffering fever and diarrhea, hours after receiving the treatment.
She was diagnosed with septic
shock, and on Sunday authorities announced her blood samples had grown the
bacterium Mycobacterium abscessus.
Dr. Ho Pak-leung, President of
the University of Hong Kong's Center for Infection told CNN that, under normal
circumstances, M. abscessus did not pose a threat to healthy people.
I have serious doubts about the medical and scientific basis of the
treatment.
Dr. Ho Pak-leung, University of Hong Kong
Dr. Ho Pak-leung, University of Hong Kong
"It's common, it's widespread. It
can be found in dust and soil and water. People often come into contact with a
small number of this bacteria and it's of no harm at all unless you have a
wound," Dr. Ho said.
However, he said it appeared as
though the bacteria had entered the woman's blood.
"For blood infection involving
internal organs, it's very difficult. It has to involve multiple drugs given at
the same time and there are uncertainties about the effectiveness of the
treatment," he told CNN on Monday.
Three other women remain in
hospital after having the treatment, health authorities said Wednesday. A
60-year-old is in critical condition, a 56-year-old woman is in serious
condition, while another, 59, is stable.
Dr. Ho said the use of the
DC-CIK treatment for cosmetic purposes was not something he'd ever heard of
before.
"I have serious doubts about the
medical and scientific basis of the treatment," he said.
Professor KY Yuen, Chair of
Infectious Diseases at the University of Hong Kong's Department of Microbiology,
said the procedure was "only indicated for patients with metastatic cancer and
often as salvage therapy when there are no other feasible options."
The Hong Kong Health Department
and police are investigating the matter but, as of Wednesday morning, police
said no arrests had been made. Health authorities have instructed the DR beauty
clinic to halt the procedure.
Over the weekend, the founder of
DR, Dr. Stephen Chow Heung-wing, told local media that his staff referred
clients to an independent doctor who administered the therapy.
He denied suggestions that it
was offered as a medical treatment.
The clinic has yet to respond to
CNN requests for reaction to Wednesday's death.
"I didn't say that it can cure
any diseases. Remember that we are a beauty clinic. We refer clients to
doctor(s), and we have had the clients to sign a liability-free form, which
states that it is not for medical use," he said.
A statement on the beauty
clinic's website says that the treatment "was conducted by an independent doctor
at a medical clinic, and the doctor is not hired by our beauty store."
The statement also said it was
up to the independent doctor to decide whether the client is suitable for
treatment before he or she receives it. It added: "We will assist related
government departments to find out the causation of this particular
incident."
According to its website, the DR
group of clinics was established in 1995 and provides services for more than
1,000 clients each day.
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