Third Radiation Study Linked to University

A Harvard professor and a former Harvard researcher were among three physicians who injected seven patients--including one man with a frontal lobotomy and another who was comatose--with radioactive isotopes in a 1951 experiment at Massachusetts General Hospital.

The experiment was led by Professor of Surgery Emeritus Dr. William H. Sweet, the then-research fellow Dr. Louis Bakay and the late Dr. Bertram Selverstone. The work was mentioned in a report in the Boston Globe on Sunday.

This experiment is the third that links Harvard researchers to tests on human beings involving radiation during the Cold War era. In two previously released cases, the radioactive experiments were done on retarded children.

But the Sweet experiment is the only test to come to light that involves a physician who is still a Harvard faculty member.

The published study of the experiment, which appeared in the Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine and was obtained by The Crimson, says the experiments were "performed on volunteer patients, all of whom were suffering from extensive neoplasms [tumors]."

But the extent of the patients' afflictions calls into question whether they had the mental or physical capacity to volunteer for such testing. The test's subjects included:

. A 62-year-old patient with a frontal lobotomy who was described as "grossly apathetic" and lying in a "motionless torpor."

. A comatose 58-year-old patient who was said to be paralyzed on the left side of his body.

. A 65-year-old man who suffered from brain cancer and was partially paralyzed on his right side.

. Another man who was called "stuporous" and "motionless."

All but two of the seven patients used in the experiment "lay quietly or even motionless," according to the published study.

In a telephone interview from his Brookline home last night, Sweet said he vaguely recalled the experiment. He agreed that, given the test subjects' afflictions, it is unclear whether or not they could give consent.

"It doesn't seem as if all of them were able to [consent]," Sweet said. "But I'm sure that if we went ahead everything was in order."

"We didn't have all these present tactics of explaining everything in great detail, what all the risks are," Sweet said. "All this was in the last quarter of a century."

"We enjoyed a cheery relationship with the patients," the professor added. "We were both in it together trying to work for the patient's benefit."

The experiment involved injecting seven patients with tracer doses of radioactive sodium, according to Sweet and the published work. The doctors then drew blood from the patients about an hour later to measure how well the bodymetabolized tracers.

According to Sweet, who retired in 1977, the1951 experiment was just one of many similar testshe and his colleagues at Massachusetts GeneralHospital performed.

"[We] did a number of such studies withradioisotopes of one sort or another," Sweet said.

He said the study and others like it "were aremarkably valuable means of finding out things wehad no idea about."

The professor repeatedly mentioned experimentshe did with radioactive uranium.

Sweet said the experiment would be done thesame way today, except that "we'd have it allwritten down."

The doctor stressed that the amount ofradiation used in his experiments "was minimal,"and said that many of the test subjects were eagerto participate in his studies.

"We discussed these points with the patients,especially in the studies where the experiment didthe patient no good but was done for medicalknowledge generally," Sweet said. "Only thepatients that were very enthusiasticparticipated."

"Patients would ask `Is there any way we couldhelp you?" said Sweet, adding that he is eager toreview his work with anyone interested.

Michelle Marcella, a spokesperson forMassachusetts General Hospital, said yesterdaythat the study is being reviewed by the hospital'sin-house committee involving radiation performedduring the Cold War era.

As part of its investigation, she said, thecommittee will determine what kind of consent, ifany, was obtained for all experiments conductedduring that period, Marcella said.

The scientists worked out of the NeurosurgicalService of the Massachusetts General Hospital andthe Harvard Medical School Department of Surgery,according to the journal.

Contacted at his home last night, Harvardspokesperson Joe Wrinn referred questions to theMassachusetts General Hospital. He said that anyUniversity documents on the matter would be turnedover to the appropriate state or federalauthorities.

The experiment was designed to study the rateat which radioactive substances mixed in the bloodstream.

Scientists believed at the time that thisknowledge would help in determining thesubstances' rate of transfer out of the blood andinto other body fluids.

"Radioactive isotopes are being injected forinvestigative and therapeutic purposes into theblood stream of man with increasing frequency,"the published study says.

Funding for the experiment was provided in partby the National Institutes of Health, PublicHealth Service, and from an anonymous donor to theNeurosurgical Service of the Massachusetts GeneralHospital.

Sweet repeatedly said that MGH now requires anextensive consent process for all of its patients.

Selverstone died last year, Sweet said.

Bakay could not be reached for comment

According to Sweet, who retired in 1977, the1951 experiment was just one of many similar testshe and his colleagues at Massachusetts GeneralHospital performed.

"[We] did a number of such studies withradioisotopes of one sort or another," Sweet said.

He said the study and others like it "were aremarkably valuable means of finding out things wehad no idea about."

The professor repeatedly mentioned experimentshe did with radioactive uranium.

Sweet said the experiment would be done thesame way today, except that "we'd have it allwritten down."

The doctor stressed that the amount ofradiation used in his experiments "was minimal,"and said that many of the test subjects were eagerto participate in his studies.

"We discussed these points with the patients,especially in the studies where the experiment didthe patient no good but was done for medicalknowledge generally," Sweet said. "Only thepatients that were very enthusiasticparticipated."

"Patients would ask `Is there any way we couldhelp you?" said Sweet, adding that he is eager toreview his work with anyone interested.

Michelle Marcella, a spokesperson forMassachusetts General Hospital, said yesterdaythat the study is being reviewed by the hospital'sin-house committee involving radiation performedduring the Cold War era.

As part of its investigation, she said, thecommittee will determine what kind of consent, ifany, was obtained for all experiments conductedduring that period, Marcella said.

The scientists worked out of the NeurosurgicalService of the Massachusetts General Hospital andthe Harvard Medical School Department of Surgery,according to the journal.

Contacted at his home last night, Harvardspokesperson Joe Wrinn referred questions to theMassachusetts General Hospital. He said that anyUniversity documents on the matter would be turnedover to the appropriate state or federalauthorities.

The experiment was designed to study the rateat which radioactive substances mixed in the bloodstream.

Scientists believed at the time that thisknowledge would help in determining thesubstances' rate of transfer out of the blood andinto other body fluids.

"Radioactive isotopes are being injected forinvestigative and therapeutic purposes into theblood stream of man with increasing frequency,"the published study says.

Funding for the experiment was provided in partby the National Institutes of Health, PublicHealth Service, and from an anonymous donor to theNeurosurgical Service of the Massachusetts GeneralHospital.

Sweet repeatedly said that MGH now requires anextensive consent process for all of its patients.

Selverstone died last year, Sweet said.

Bakay could not be reached for comment