Melanoma and its Risk Factors

According to the National Cancer Institute, melanoma is a form of cancer that starts in the cells that make the pigment melanin. Last year in the U.S., an estimated 68,720 people were newly diagnosed with the cancer, and 8,650 melanoma-caused deaths were reported.

Melanoma can usually be cured when caught early on through surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, vaccine therapy, immunotherapy and other treatments. However, if this deadly form of cancer is not caught early enough, it can spread to other parts of the body.

The American Academy of Dermatology has listed common risk factors for melanoma skin cancer. Anyone with any of these risk factors should make sure to protect their skin when exposed to sun.

• Fair skin or sun-sensitive skin
• Blonde or red hair and blue or green eyes
• 50 to 100 moles, or more
• Large, irregular moles
• History of sunburn or use of tanning beds
• Family history of melanoma
• Weakened immune system
• Previous diagnosis of melanoma or other skin cancer
• 50 years or older

If your melanoma or other form of cancer went undiagnosed by a doctor or was misdiagnosed, it is important that you get in touch with our cancer malpractice lawyers as soon as possible to discuss the possibilities for a lawsuit. New York has very strict limitations on the amount of time in which you may file a claim. Call or email the attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today for a free consultation. We have helped clients with Bronx cancer malpractice, Queens cancer malpractice, Brooklyn cancer malpractice, Nassau cancer malpractice and Suffolk cancer malpractice cases, and we can help you too.

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Percentage of Cardiac Catheterizations Prove Unnecessary

According to a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, doctors may be performing cardiac catheterization too quickly after learning a patient has chest pain. This type of procedure can be risky because it is invasive, meaning it involves an instrument being inserted into the body. For cardiac catheterization, a thin plastic tube is inserted into a vein or artery to observe blood flow to the heart and check how well the heart is pumping, according to the American Heart Association.

Researchers involved in the study looked at data on almost 400,000 patients who had cardiac catheterization between January of 2004 and April of 2008. None of these patients had a history of heart disease. While about 37.6 percent had a blocked artery, 39.2 percent of the patients in the study had no considerable coronary artery blockage.

In most cases, doctors generally perform a noninvasive test before going forward with a more risky procedure. Of the 400,000 patients involved in this study, roughly 84 percent had a noninvasive test before a cardiac catheterization was performed. However, many of these preliminary tests do not provide adequate data concerning possible blockages.

Heart disease is the number one killer in the nation, and the failure to diagnose a heart attack is the number one medical malpractice mistake. If you or a loved one has been the victim of medical malpractice, call or e-mail the medical malpractice attorneys at Silberstein Awad & Miklos today to schedule your free consultation. We have helped clients with Queens cardiac malpractice, Bronx cardiac malpractice, Brooklyn cardiac malpractice and Long Island cardiac malpractice cases.

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Worse Outcomes for Women Not Given tPA After Stroke

A recent study published in medical journal Neurology and released by the American Academy of Neurology has found that women who do not receive tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) following a stroke have worse results than men who don’t get the drug. The drug, which dissolves stroke-causing clots, should be given within the first three hours of symptom onset to be effective.

For the study, data on more than 2,100 stroke patients was evaluated by Dr. Michael D. Hill and his colleagues. Women made up about 44 percent of the 232 patients treated with tPA within the three hour window. Six months after their stroke, 70 percent of men who did not receive tPA had good outcomes, while only 58 percent of women who didn’t get the drug had a good outcome.

Stroke is the third leading killer in our nation, following heart disease and cancer. The failure to properly diagnose and treat a stroke in a timely way is a leading medical malpractice mistake in our country. If you or a loved one has been the victim of stroke malpractice, call or email the medical malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today for your free consultation. We are experienced at serving clients with Bronx stroke malpractice, Brooklyn stroke malpractice, Queens stroke malpractice, Nassau stroke malpractice and Suffolk stroke malpractice cases.

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Risk of Clogged Arteries Higher for Children Exposed to Secondhand Smoke

According to a recent news release from the American Heart Association, children exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to develop early warning signs of clogged arteries by age 13. These children were also found to be at a higher risk of other heart disease risk factors.

The study behind the news release, which will be published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, included 494 Finnish children, who researchers say are exposed to about the same amount of secondhand smoke as children in the U.S.

Led by study author Dr. Katariina Kallio, researchers looked at children who were exposed to secondhand smoke between ages 8 and 13. When compared to children who had not been exposed to secondhand smoke, these children were found to have a greater risk of thickening blood vessel walls, which can be a sign of clogging arteries. These children were also found to have higher levels of apolipoprotein B, which is known to contribute to LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Children should never be exposed to tobacco smoke, especially at a young age. According to the Mayo Clinic, children are more vulnerable than adults to secondhand smoke because their bodies are still developing and they normally have higher breathing rates. This means they may inhale greater quantities of secondhand smoke than adults. Pregnant women who smoke or are exposed to secondhand smoke increase their child’s risk of problems during and after birth.

Silberstein, Awad & Miklos serves clients with Queens birth injury, Bronx birth injury, Brooklyn birth injury, Nassau birth injury and Suffolk birth injury cases. Call or e-mail us today for a free consultation. 1-877-ASK4SAM

Medical Journal Withdraws Study Linking Vaccines and Autism

British medical journal The Lancet recently retracted a study published back in 1998 linking the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism. The controversial study, conducted by British researcher Dr. Andrew Wakefield and 13 co-authors, was rejected by many researchers. However, many parents of children with autism saw the findings as an answer to this complex disorder, causing them to denounce the use of vaccines in children. Consequently, vaccination rates plunged in the U.S. and Britain, resulting in an increase in the number of new measles cases.

A few years back, 10 of the study’s 13 co-authors disowned the study. In addition, The Lancet had stated that Wakefield’s study should have never been published. Many pediatricians welcomed the study’s retraction this past February and hope that this news will change many parents’ thoughts about vaccines.

As for Wakefield, the UK General Medical Council ruled that the doctor had violated several ethical codes during his autism research and will soon make a decision on whether to revoke his medical license.

The CDC recently reported that one in 110 children in the U.S. has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. If your child’s autism may have been caused by obstetrical negligence during pregnancy, labor and delivery, please call or e-mail us today. One of our experienced birth injury attorneys will evaluate your case for free. We have helped clients with Bronx birth injury, Brooklyn birth injury, Queens birth injury and Long Island birth injury cases.

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Decrease in Average Birth Weight in U.S.

A new study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology has found that birth weight in the United States may be declining after being on the rise for almost fifty years. For the study, Sara Donohue of Boston University, along with colleagues, looked at birth records for just about 37 million babies. They found that from 1990 to 2005, birth weight fell by an average of 1.83 ounces.

The research team also looked at birth weights for roughly half a million infants born to young mothers at low risk of complications to make sure the decrease was not related to lifestyle or maternal age. Birth weights in these cases had an even greater decrease, dropping about 2.79 ounces.

Newborns weighing less than 5.5 pounds experience a higher risk of certain problems, including having low blood sugar, reduced body temperatures and an increased amount of red blood cells, which can cause clots. Larger infants weighing more than 8 pounds, 13 ounces may result in a more difficult delivery, possibly causing harm to the baby if proper precautions are not taken.

If your child has suffered a birth injury that may have been preventable, call or e-mail the attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today. One of our experienced birth injury lawyers will evaluate your case for free. We have helped clients with Queens birth injury, Bronx birth injury, Brooklyn birth injury and Long Island birth injury cases.

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CDC: 1 in 110 8-year-olds had autism in 2006

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a report that determined that 1 in 110 eight year olds had autism in 2006 in the U.S., an increase of 57% from previously determined. Data collected in 2002 found that 1 in 150 eight year old children were diagnosed with autism. The prevalence of autism is still much higher in boys than in girls, with 1 in 70 boys and only 1 in 315 girls being diagnosed.

For the study, the CDC looked at physician and school records of children with autism from 11 sites included in the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network. Each site was in a different state, with 10 of the 11 sites having been used for the data collected by the CDC in 2002. The data collected in 2006 was then compared with that from 2002, finding a 57% increase in the prevalence of autism. Of the 10 sites represented in both reports, 9 had an increase in the number of children with autism.

Although some experts believe that overdiagnosis of autism is taking place throughout the country, this increase is still very significant. If your child’s autism may have been caused by obstetrical negligence during pregnancy, labor and delivery, please call or e-mail us today. One of our experienced birth injury attorneys will evaluate your case for free. We have helped clients with Bronx birth injury, Brooklyn birth injury, Queens birth injury and Long Island birth injury cases.

Call us toll-free, 1-877-ASK4SAM and visit us online, www.ask4sam.net