AP:
A Minnesota couple who refused chemotherapy for their 13-year-old son was ordered Friday to have the boy re-evaluated to see if he would still benefit from the cancer treatment — or if it may already be too late....Ever since I was a kid, I've sided against the parents on these things. I still do. I think. But I have to acknowledge that at some point the parents have to have the right to decide what is the correct treatment for their child. And cancer treatments can be awfully vicious. They can also sometimes be more than what was needed, or so I hear. Still, when I read about these parents not treating their kids, for religious reasons, it still ticks me off. But is that enough justification for the state to intervene?
Dr. Bruce Bostrom, a pediatric oncologist at Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, diagnosed Daniel with Hodgkin's lymphoma in January and recommended six rounds of chemotherapy.
He underwent one round in February, but stopped after that single treatment. He and his parents opted instead for "alternative medicines," citing religious beliefs.
Doctors have said Daniel's cancer had a 90 percent chance of being cured with chemotherapy and radiation. Without those treatments, doctors said his chances of survival are 5 percent. Child protection workers accused Daniel's parents of medical neglect, and went to court seeking custody.
