Malignant melanoma

Malignant melanoma

Malignant melanoma is a form of skin cancer that is almost always fatal in delayed diagnosis situations. When the diagnosis has been delayed the outcome is negatively affected. The Nationall Cancer Institute estimates that more than a million new cases of non-melanoma skin cancer will be diagnosed in 2007 and that less than 2000 people will be die from it. The survival rate is extremely high. Melanoma on the other hand incidences about 60,000 new cases a year with about 8000 deaths associated with it. Every day of the late diagnosis matters.

According to the National Cancer Institute if you have an existing mole you should watch for
changes in the size of the mole
changes in the color of the mole
changes in the shape or feel and
areas of black or black blue pigment in the mole.

Melanoma is quite virulent and usually spreads to other parts of the body such as the liver, lungs or brain via the lymph system. Recent medical advances have made testing of the lymph nodes the standard of care and diagnosis and treatment of melanoma. Sentinel lymph node biopsies are used to check the spread of cancer. Generally, if the lymph nodes have been invaded the patient's prognosis is not favorable.

Our office has handled skin cancers cases of many types. In all they involve a delay in timely diagnosing cancer and promptly instituting treatment. They run the gamut of misreading the biopsies slides to ignoring a patient's complaints with regard to a mole.

If you or a loved one has medical malpractice questions in New York, please contact the Malpractice Law Offices of Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, serving clients in Nassau and Suffolk Counties and Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, Staten Island and Westchester County.

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Silberstein, Awad & Miklos
600 Old Country Road
Garden City, New York 11523
phone 877 ask 4 sam
www. Ask4sam.com