Question
I am currently studying my Masters in Medical Physics, and I am thinking of taking a path into radiotherapy oncology, which is using radiation to diagnose and treat cancer. There is a light and dark side to this practice, The light side is the most obvious role which is to cure those suffering from cancer. The dark side is that radiotherapy can have very disastrous side effects, including a second cancer and other long term disabling health problems, infertility, hair loss, loss of appetite, etc. Essentially, radiotherapy is where we weigh the risks and benefits and then decide appropriately, almost like a smart gamble. This is what made me think twice that I may actually be the cause of someone developing very horrible health problems. Is it permissible to pursue a career in radiotherapy oncology?
Answer
With the possibility of developing so many serious diseases, it is not permissible to embark on this career. It is not permissible to resort to medication/remedies which have the potential of the disastrous effects enumerated by you. All things on earth have advantages and disadvantages, harms and benefits. In terms of the Shariah, the harms and dangers outweigh the benefits, hence radiotherapy oncology is not permissible. Permissibility of using a medicine or adopting a treatment hinges on the almost certain curing ability of the medication/ t r e a t m e n t. W h i l s t Shifa' (Cure) is Allah's Decree, it is incumbent on the practitioner to ensure that he does not gamble with the life or health of the patient. There has to be almost certainty in the curing property of the treatment. But a treatment fraught with the many dangers mentioned in the question is not permissible.
- Source
- themajlis.co.za
- Published in
- The Majlis Vol 21 No 11
- PDF page
- 11
Appears under RADIOTHERAPY (approximate).