A Medical Castration in Australia

[Eunuchorn (imported)]

http://www.theage.com.au/national/judge ... 17sq8.html

Anyone here heard of Denys-Drash before this article?

[kristoff]

Judge allows parents to have boys castrated Kim Arlington November 15, 2010

Cancer Treatment OptionsCancerCenter.com/CareThatNeverQuits

Two little boys will have their testes removed after a court allowed their parents to authorise the procedure to prevent them developing potentially fatal cancers.

The boys, aged 18 months and three years, have been diagnosed with Denys-Drash syndrome, which is so rare they are thought to be the only two people in Australia who have it.

Known by the pseudonyms Russell and Sean, the boys are not related.

Advertisement: Story continues below Caused by a genetic mutation, Denys-Drash syndrome is associated with a high risk of developing potentially fatal tumours on the kidneys and testes, as well as the development of ambiguous genitalia.

Surgery has been proposed for each boy to prevent cancers growing, but it involves removing their kidneys and their testes, leaving them sterile.

The sensitive issues surrounding the proposed treatment were examined in the Family Court, where a health authority in an unnamed state sought orders that the parents of each boy be allowed to authorise the surgery and any attendant treatment for their sons. The parents supported the application.

The medical consensus was that the syndrome was likely to render Sean and Russell infertile, even without the removal of their testes.

The court has previously held that the decision to sterilise a child is a special case, requiring authorisation from a source other than the parents to ensure the child's protection.

In the present case, Justice Peter Murphy found that a decision about whether to authorise the surgery fell within the scope of parental powers, and the key issue was what was in the best interests of the children. ''In my view, the law should tread very lightly in seeking to intrude in, or impose itself upon, those decisions,'' Justice Murphy said.

''It would, in my respectful view, be sad indeed if the courtroom was to replace a caring, holistic environment within which … parents and doctors alike could deal with the admittedly extremely difficult medical and other decisions that need to be made.''

Justice Murphy ruled that the proposed treatment would achieve the best long-term outcome for each child, physically and psychologically, and declared that the parents of each boy were permitted to authorise and consent to the surgery on the child's behalf.

[Paolo]

As I understand what I'm reading about this disease, the victims WILL develop cancerous tumors on the kidneys and testicles. Usually, by age 3, they're already showing signs, if I understand it correctly. Plenty of info out there to find on this unfortunate disorder. So sad.

[Twinsenboy (imported)]

Ouch. Very sad indeed.

[Riverwind (imported)]

I just read what its about and understood about 1/3rd of what I read, this is some scary stuff, these poor little kids.

River

[Losethem (imported)]

Yes, a very sad case for these two kids.

Can any of you see through their case why it is so difficult for us to get our own testicles removed in a safe medical environment?

Amazing. Castration is the cure in the case of these two kids, but people are still getting in the way of doing it because they probably feel their own sexuality is threatened if they do what is medically necessary in this case.

--LT

[Slammr (imported)]

Although we're focusing on the castrations - that's the nature of this site and understandable - these kids are also having their kidneys removed, which has far worse consequences. I would guess the prognosis for them is poor.

If castration would solve their problems, it would be well worth having it done, but from what I read, it probably won't - not that I'm saying they shouldn't be castrated to give them some chance at life. Apparently, that's their only chance.

It is sad.

[Caith721 (imported)]

An over-50 co-worker recently suffered from incurable bladder cancer and was fortunate that although it was an aggressive form, they caught it at stage 0-to-1 because it was causing him urinary problems. He's fortunate it impacted neither his kidneys nor prostate, but I'd find it awfully difficult living without a bladder, much less my kidneys.

[Paolo]

As I read more about this genetic condition, yes, they will develop tumors (cancer) on their testicles and kidneys. I don't know how long they can live on dialysis, but this is their only chance for any kind of life. It's very sad.

We've learned something new here today, like or not, and something very thought-provoking.