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Medical Malpractice Lawyer -- Cancer Research Featured in Time Magazine

The September 4, 2008 issue of Time has an informative article about what is being done by the country's leading scientists and scientific organizations to find new treatments for cancer.  This should be required reading for anyone dealing with cancer, either their own or that of a loved one.

If you would like more information about your cancer, contact Berger & Lagnese.  If you believe that your cancer, or a loved one's cancer, was missed or misdiagnosed, our lawyers and doctors will evaluate your case for free.

Drug Eluting Stents Better than Other Stents, Study Says

The New England Journal reports the following:

Background Studies comparing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting and bare-metal coronary stents in acute myocardial infarction have been limited in size and duration.

Methods We identified all adults undergoing PCI with stenting for acute myocardial infarction between April 1, 2003, and September 30, 2004, at any acute care, nonfederal hospital in Massachusetts with the use of a state-mandated database of PCI procedures. We performed propensity-score matching on three groups of patients: all patients with acute myocardial infarction, all those with acute myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation, and all those with acute myocardial infarction without ST-segment elevation. Propensity-score analyses were based on clinical, procedural, hospital, and insurance information collected at the time of the index procedure. Differences in the risk of death between patients receiving drug-eluting stents and those receiving bare-metal stents were determined from vital-statistics records.

Results A total of 7217 patients were treated for acute myocardial infarction (4016 with drug-eluting stents and 3201 with bare-metal stents). According to analysis of matched pairs, the 2-year, risk-adjusted mortality rates were lower for drug-eluting stents than for bare-metal stents among all patients with myocardial infarction (10.7% vs. 12.8%, P=0.02), among patients with myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation (8.5% vs. 11.6%, P=0.008), and among patients with myocardial infarction without ST-segment elevation (12.8% vs. 15.6%, P=0.04). The 2-year, risk-adjusted rates of recurrent myocardial infarction were reduced in patients with myocardial infarction without ST-segment elevation who were treated with drug-eluting stents, and repeat revascularization rates were significantly reduced with the use of drug-eluting stents as compared with bare-metal stents in all groups.

Conclusions In patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction, treatment with drug-eluting stents is associated with decreased 2-year mortality rates and a reduction in the need for repeat revascularization procedures as compared with treatment with bare-metal stents.

If you have had a heart attack and your heart attack was missed or misdiagnosed, you can get more information at the medical malpractice lawyer website.  Our lawyers handle only significant cases of medical malpractice.  In Western Pennsylvania, including Pittsburgh, Greensburg, Washington, Beaver, Erie, and Uniontown. 

 

 

 

Obesity and Insulin Linked to Prostate Cancer

Men who are overweight and who have high insulin levels when they are diagnosed with prostate cancer may be more likely to die from the disease, according to a study to be published in The Lancet Oncology.

It is well established that androgens, male hormones, play a critical role in spurring prostate cancer.

In fact, these cancers are often treated with approaches that deprive the tumors of testosterone.

This recent study concludes that obesity has a very important influence on prostate cancer outcome.  The question is, "Why"?

Dr. Pollak, the primary author, looked 2,500 men who had been followed for 24 years as part of the study. Overweight men (those with a BMI of 25 to 29) had a 47 percent higher risk of dying from prostate cancer, while obese men (BMI of 30 or over) were more than two-and-a-half times more likely to die of the disease, compared with men of healthy weight (BMI under 25).

Men with the highest C-peptide (insulin hormone) concentrations also had more than double the risk of dying from their cancer compared with men with the lowest levels.  Finally, men who had a BMI of more than 25 and high C-peptide concentrations had quadruple the risk of dying from their cancer compared with men who had lower BMIs and lower C-peptide levels.

Our lawyers specialize in missed cancer or misdiagnosis of cancer cases in Pennsylvania.  For free information about medical malpractice in Pittsburgh, Uniontown, Greensburg, Beaver, Erie, and Washington PA, visit our website.

 

Crestor Reduces Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke in Those without High Cholesterol

A study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine has significant implications for the prevention of heart attack and stroke.  Statins are a class of drugs that have been prescribed for those people who have high cholesterol in order to reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke.  This study was done to see if statins would also reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in those people without high cholesterol.  This study of over 17,000 people found that the statin reduced myocardial infarction (heart attack), stroke, arterial revascularization, hospitalization for unstable angina, and death from cardiovascular causes.

The one catch is that only people with elevated high sensitivity c-reactive protein levels were allowed to participate in the study.

This study tells us that you should be tested for your c-reactive protein level, and if it is elevated, you should take statins routinely.  One common type of statin is Crestor.

For more information about heart attack and stroke, see the medical malpractice attorneys of Pennslvania.  Our lawyers specialize in heart attacks and strokes missed or misdiagnosed by doctors and hospitals in Pittsburgh, Greensburg, Uniontown, Washington, Erie, Beaver and all of Western Pennsylvania.

Hypnosis Helps Breast Cancer Survivors

Randomized Trial of a Hypnosis Intervention for Treatment of Hot Flashes Among Breast Cancer Survivors

Gary Elkins,^* Joel Marcus, Vered Stearns, Michelle Perfect, M. Hasan Rajab, Christopher Ruud, Lynne Palamara, and Timothy Keith

From the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco; Scott and White Memorial Hospital and Clinic, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Temple; Cancer Treatment and Research Center, San Antonio; and University of Texas at Austin, TX; University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ; and the Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: Gary_Elkins@baylor.edu

 

Purpose: Hot flashes are a significant problem for many breast cancer survivors. Hot flashes can cause discomfort, disrupted sleep, anxiety, and decreased quality of life. A well-tolerated and effective mind-body treatment for hot flashes would be of great value. On the basis of previous case studies, this study was developed to evaluate the effect of a hypnosis intervention for hot flashes.

Patients and Methods: Sixty female breast cancer survivors with hot flashes were randomly assigned to receive hypnosis intervention (five weekly sessions) or no treatment. Eligible patients had to have a history of primary breast cancer without evidence of detectable disease and 14 or more weekly hot flashes for at least 1 month. The major outcome measure was a bivariate construct that represented hot flash frequency and hot flash score, which was analyzed by a classic sums and differences comparison. Secondary outcome measures were self-reports of interference of hot flashes on daily activities.

Results: Fifty-one randomly assigned women completed the study. By the end of the treatment period, hot flash scores (frequency x average severity) decreased 68% from baseline to end point in the hypnosis arm (P < .001). Significant improvements in self-reported anxiety, depression, interference of hot flashes on daily activities, and sleep were observed for patients who received the hypnosis intervention (P < .005) in comparison to the no treatment control group.

Conclusion: Hypnosis appears to reduce perceived hot flashes in breast cancer survivors and may have additional benefits such as reduced anxiety and depression, and improved sleep.

 

If your breast cancer was missed or misdiagnosed, and you would like more information about this, contact the breast cancer malpractice lawyers.  Our attorneys only work on significant malpractice cases in Pennsylvania, including Pittsburgh, Erie, Washington PA, Beaver, Greensburg, and Uniontown.

Cancer Malpractice Lawyer -- Breast Cancer Detected Better with Ultrasound after Mammogram

In an article published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers found that 28% more cases of breast cancer were detected when women received breast ultrasound after mammography.  Most of the additional cases of breast cancer that were found with ultrasound after mammography were small invasive cancers that had not yet spread to the lymph nodes.

If you have any questions about the value of ultrasound plus mammography in your case, you should discuss this recent study with your doctor.

If your breast cancer was missed, misdiagnosed or improperly treated call us at 412-471-4300 or toll free at 800-350-6161, or email us.  At Berger & Lagnese, our attorneys specialize in medical malpractice, and work on cases in Pennsylvania, including Pittsburgh, Greensburg, Uniontown, Beaver, Erie, and Washington PA.  Our team of lawyers will find out what happened with your medical care and will get you the answers to your questions.

New Test for Cervical Cancer is More Accurate than Pap Smear

According to a new study published in Lancet Oncology, a new test for cervical cancer is more accurate than the Pap smear or Pap test.  This new test detects the presence of a protein, called P16INK4A.  The presence of this protein indicates that the woman has pre-cancerous cells on her cervix.

The researchers first tested the patients for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV).  HPV is the cause of most cervical cancers.  Then, the researchers tested for the presence of the protein P16INK4A.  These two tests combined found 88% of cancer causing lesions, and there were far fewer false positives than the Pap test.  Also, the protein test found 50% more of the dangerous lesions than the Pap test.

If you would like more information about cervical cancer, contact Berger & Lagnese.  If you believe that your cervical cancer was missed or misdiagnosed or improperly treated, our lawyers and doctors will evaluate your case for free.

Medical Malpractice Lawyer -- Use of PET Scan in Patients with Colon Cancer

In a study published in the September 2008 issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine, researchers found that treatment plans for more than one-half of colon cancer patients tested were changed after positron emission tomography (PET) scanning was performed on the patient.  This was the largest multi-institutional study performed to date examining the impact of PET scanning in changing treatment management in patients with recurrent colo-rectal cancer.  One of the lead researchers involved in the study commented that "these results are compelling and indicate that PET should be more widely available to patients."

If you've been diagnosed with colon cancer or some other cancer such as breast cancer or cervical cancer, and you want to find out if your cancer was diagnosed as soon as it should have been or if you are getting the cancer treatment you deserve, call us at 412-471-4300 or toll free at 800-350-6161, or email us.  At Berger & Lagnese, our attorneys specialize in medical malpractice, and work on cases in Pennsylvania, including Pittsburgh, Greensburg, Uniontown, Beaver, Erie, and Washington PA.  Our team of lawyers will find out what happened with your medical care and will get you the answers you deserve.

Colon Cancer More Likely from Polyps in Blacks than Whites

Black people undergoing colon cancer screening are more likely to have large precancerous polyps than are whites.

Black men had a 16 percent increased risk of polyps more than 9 millimeters (mm) in size than white men. And the difference in women was even more striking with black women having 62 percent higher odds of a 9 mm or larger polyp, according to new research.

"We've known for a long time that colon cancer is more common in blacks than in whites, and that blacks are more likely to die from colon cancer than whites," said the study's lead author, Dr. David A. Lieberman, a professor of medicine and chief of gastroenterology at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.

"Previous studies have suggested these differences may be from a lack of access to health care, or a failure of doctors to recommend screening, or a failure of the patients to follow through on screening. But, since we took a look at patients who were already getting screening exams, access and adherence weren't an issue, and we found that black men and women had more serious polyps," Lieberman said.

The good news, he added, is that "many colon cancers can be prevented with screening," and this study shows that blacks may stand to benefit even more from colon cancer screening than whites.

Results of the study were published in the Sept. 24 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The death rates for colon cancer are about 40 percent higher in blacks than in whites, according to background information in the study. And, the disease incidence rate is between 15 percent and 23 percent higher for blacks.

The new study included 5,464 blacks and 80,061 whites who had undergone screening colonoscopy in 67 different centers across the United States. Of that group, the researchers found 422 blacks (7.7 percent) had one or more polyps that were larger than 9 mm. Among whites, almost 5,000 (6.2 percent) had one or more polyps of that size. Removing large colon polyps is important, because they are likely to turn into colon cancer.

The researchers also found that the differences persisted across different age groups. And, black women had a "strikingly" higher incidence of polyps, according to Lieberman.

"This study confirms the possibility that genetic and biological factors are playing a role in colon cancer," said Lieberman.

But, not everyone's convinced by these findings.

Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society, said the study didn't control, or compensate, for previous screening tests or socioeconomic status of the participants -- two factors he said could seriously influence the study's conclusions.

"Black women in the U.S. are more likely to have [a particular type of breast cancer called] triple-negative breast cancer than white women, and many experts have written about it and wondered if it's biology. But, if you go to Scotland, where there are few blacks, researchers wonder why poor white women are more likely to have triple-negative breast cancer," said Brawley, who added, "We tend to let our racial lens interfere with being scientific."

"It may be that colon cancer is more aggressive in blacks than in whites," he said, but the issue definitely needs more study.

No matter what your color, one thing both experts agree on is the need to have colon cancer screening beginning at age 50 for those with an average risk of the disease.

"With colon cancer screening, we have the unique opportunity to actually prevent cancer," Lieberman said.

For free information about colon cancer in Pennsylvania, contact the colon cancer lawyers of Pennsylvania.  Our attorneys only work on significant medical malpractice cases.  If your cancer was missed or misdiagnosed, we will provide you with information about whether the delay made a difference.  Ordinarily, the earlier cancer is diagnosed, the more likely it will be cured.  Working in all courts in Pennsylvania, including Pittsburgh, Greensburg, Uniontown, Erie, Washington, and Beaver.