UK hospital defences giving cancerous lung to soldier

A leading United Kingdom hospital has defended its practice of using organs donated by smokers after the death of a soldier who received the cancerous lungs of a heavy smoker.



Papworth Hospital, the UK\'s largest specialist cardiothoracic hospital, in Cambridgeshire, east England has been placed on guard following an inquiry into the 2008 death of Corporal Matthew Millington.



Corporal Millington died at his home in 2008, less than a year after receiving a double lung transplant at the Papworth Hospital.



Last week, an inquest revealed that a radiographer failed to highlight the growth of a cancerous tumor on the lungs which were used in the operation.



In its defence, the Papworth Hospital said it was not unusual for the facility to use the lungs donated by smokers to do transplants, as many patients, who are waiting for years for a new lung, depend on them.



Tests found that the soldier had received the lungs of a donor who smoked up to 50 cigarettes a day.