Inquest into the death of Kamalavati Sundar

86y · Female·Metastatic ovarian cancer (high-grade serous carcinoma)

An 86-year-old woman serving a life sentence died of metastatic ovarian cancer in palliative care. After diagnosis in April 2023, treatment was appropriately limited to symptom management given her advanced dementia, making informed consent for chemotherapy impossible. She received comprehensive compassionate care with daily nursing reviews, weekly GP liaison, personal carers, and appropriate pain management escalation. Transfer to the hospital's palliative care centre in June 2023 was timely when her pain management needs exceeded the correctional facility's capacity. The coroner found no deficiencies in her healthcare and accepted forensic medicine advice that care was thorough and holistic. No clinical lessons for prevention were identified.