Potency of Some Cancer Drugs Reduced when Combined with Common Medications

A study recently presented at a meeting of the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics has found that many patients taking oral cancer drugs are also taking other medications that may either lower the effectiveness or increase the harmful side effects of the cancer drug.

The research, conducted by Medco Health Solutions, included pharmacy claims of roughly 11,600 patients who were taking one of nine kinase inhibitors, or oral cancer drugs. The drugs included Nexavar, Gleevec, Tasigna, Sutent, Tarceva, Sprycel and Tykerb.

Of the patients taking Gleevec, a drug used for leukemia, 43 percent were also taking another medication that could possibly lower the potency of the cancer drug. Sixty-eight percent were also taking a drug that could increase the level of toxicity of Gleevec.

The types of medications that were found to cause potentially dangerous effects when combined with the cancer drugs included proton pu,p inhibitor (PPI) heartburn drugs (i.e. Nexium and Prevacid), calcium channel blockers used for blood pressure and the heart, and certain antibiotics, antifungal treatments and steroids.

In most cases, the cancer drugs were prescribed to patients by their oncologists, and the other medications were prescribed by the patient’s primary care physician. Study authors stressed the importance of communication between the patient’s doctors. Better physician communication can help prevent dangerous combinations of prescription drugs, improving overall patient safety.

When physicians negligently prescribe a drug that has a bad interaction with another medication, patients can be seriously hurt. If you or a loved one were harmed by a doctor’s negligence, call or email the prescription malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos. We have over 30 years of experience helping clients with medical malpractice and personal injury matters. Call or email us today to discuss your possible Bronx medical malpractice, Brooklyn medical malpractice, Queens medical malpractice, Manhattan medical malpractice or Long Island medical malpractice case.
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Many Local Hospitals Receive Low Rating by Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports recently released their list of the 50 worst hospitals in the nation, with 30 local medical centers landing themselves among lowest rated.

The report rated hospitals based on the number of patients readmitted to the hospital within 30 days, the number of patients that developed an infection while at the hospital, and the quality of instructions given regarding medication and discharge. Report authors used these criteria to rate 1,045 of the over 4,000 hospitals nationwide.

Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx received the lowest score in New York, followed by Nassau University Medical Center on Long Island. The 30 lowest-scoring area hospitals were ranked as follows:

1. Jacobi Medical Center, Bronx, NY
2. Nassau University Medical Center, East Meadow, NY
3. Forest Hills Hospital, Forest Hills, NY
4. St. Joseph’s Medical Center, Yonkers, NY
5. St. John’s Riverside Hospital, Yonkers, NY
6. Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
7. Lawrence Hospital Center, Bronxville, NY
8. Kings County Hospital Center, Brooklyn, NY
9. Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, Jamaica, NY
10. Coney Island Hospital, Brooklyn, NY
11. Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
12. New York Westchester Square Medical Center, Bronx, NY
13. Flushing Hospital Medical Center, Flushing, NY
14. St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY
15. Sound Shore Medical Center of Westchester, New Rochelle, NY
16. Lincoln Hospital, Bronx, NY
17. New York Community Hospital, Brooklyn, NY
18. St. Michael’s Medical Center, Newark, NJ
19. St. John’s Episcopal Hospital – South Shore, Far Rockaway, NY
20. Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY
21. New York Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, NY
22. JFK Medical Center, Edison, NJ
23. Harlem Hospital Center, New York, NY
24. Brooklyn Hospital Center, Brooklyn, NY
25. New York Hospital Queens, Flushing, NY
26. Trinitas Regional Medical Center, Elizabeth, NJ
27. Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center, Patchogue, NY
28. Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, Bronx, NY
29. St. Barnabas Hospital, Bronx, NY
30. Mercy Medical Center, Rockville Centre, NY

New York’s highest scoring hospital was NYU Langone Medical Center; however it was still reported to be 10 percent below the national average for patient safety.

Although many hospitals disputed the report, stating that the ratings were misleading, as they were based on outdated information, it still raises concern about the safety of patients being treated in New York area hospitals.

When a hospital provides substandard care, they put their patients at risk of serious injury or death. If you or a loved one has been hurt by the negligence of a doctor or hospital in New York, call or email the medical malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos today for a free consultation. Our experienced attorneys have been helping clients with Bronx medical malpractice, Brooklyn medical malpractice, Queens medical malpractice, Manhattan medical malpractice and Long Island medical malpractice cases for over 30 years.

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Higher Risk of Blood Clots for Cancer Outpatients

According to a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center, cancer patients that that have been treated with chemotherapy usually develop blood clots following hospital discharge, and not while still admitted.

The study, which examined almost 18,000 cancer patients over about four years, revealed that outpatients made up 78 percent of the 5.6 percent that developed blood clots. When a blood clot, or venous thromboembolism (VTE), occurs, red blood cells, clotting proteins and platelets form a mass, preventing blood flow.

Roughly one in five cancer patients develops a blood clot following their diagnosis, and the report points out that once a cancer patient develops a blood clot, it is more likely that they will develop others. Cancer outpatients need to be at the center of blood clot prevention efforts, as they are more likely to develop a clot than those patients still admitted to the hospital.

Many cancer patients need to be educated on the importance of blood clot prevention, as well as on preventive treatment they can receive if they are at risk of a clot. If a cancer patient has symptoms of a clot, such as swelling of the limbs or shortness of breath, they should contact their physician immediately.

If a blood clot goes undiagnosed, it can cause serious complications or death. If you or a loved one was hurt by doctor or hospital negligence, call or email the medical malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos for a free consultation. Our experienced attorneys have helped clients with Bronx medical malpractice, Queens medical malpractice, Brooklyn medical malpractice, Manhattan medical malpractice and Long Island medical malpractice cases.

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Survey: ER visits result in infection for some elderly patients

A recent study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal has found that elderly adults in long-term care facilities that were recently treated in a hospital emergency room are three times more likely to develop a gastrointestinal or respiratory infection than those not recently seen in an ER.

For the study, researchers looked at about 1,270 seniors who lived in 22 long-term care facilities located in four Canadian cities between September 2006 and May 2008. The study focused on emergency room visits in the fall, winter and spring months, since respiratory and gastrointestinal infection rates are higher at these times than in the summer.

During the nearly two year study, about 425 of the seniors included in the study were treated at a hospital emergency room for something other than a gastrointestinal or acute respiratory problem. The rest of the seniors in the study were not seen at an ER.

The research found that those who were seen at a hospital emergency room were roughly three times as likely to develop a gastrointestinal or acute respiratory infection in the week after their visit.

In some cases, infections are not preventable and do not occur as a result of hospital negligence. However, some infections can be avoided and it is the responsibility of the hospital to prevent their patients from developing such infections.

If you or a loved one has acquired a serious infection while in a hospital and have questions about the quality of the medical care received, please call Silberstein, Awad & Miklos' hospital malpractice lawyers for answers. We have helped clients with Queens hospital malpractice, Bronx hospital malpractice, Brooklyn hospital malpractice, Manhattan hospital malpractice and Long Island hospital malpractice matters.

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Men Less Likely to get Screened for Cancer

According to a recent telephone survey of almost 1,150 men and women in San Juan, Baltimore and New York City, men are more likely to skip cancer screenings than women. The survey group was mainly between the ages of 30 and 59, and about 35 percent of the participants were men.

The research team that conducted the study used questions from the Cancer Screening Questionnaire, a survey of sixty-questions which were asked over the phone. The questionnaire focused on participants’ attitudes and beliefs when it came to cancer screening.

Researchers found that although the cancer death rate is higher among men, they are less willing than women to undergo cancer screenings. However, the study also found that when given the facts about cancer screening procedures, men are somewhat more likely to get screened for cancer than women are. For this reason, physicians and other health care providers should __

The findings of the study indicate that men are screened less than women for several reasons, including the fact that women see their primary care physician more often than men do. Also, there is a need for more government-sponsored cancer awareness campaigns for men and most cancer awareness campaigns focus on women’s breast cancer.

The study was published both online and in print in the American Journal of Men’s Health.

If a doctor or hospital failed to diagnose your cancer, call or email the cancer malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos today. Our experienced medical malpractice lawyers can answer your questions and help you fight for the compensation you deserve. We have helped clients with Queens cancer malpractice, Bronx cancer malpractice, Brooklyn cancer malpractice, Manhattan cancer malpractice and Long Island cancer malpractice cases.

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Study: Rate of C-section delivery with twins increases

Researchers in California have found in a new study that more twins are being delivered via cesarean section than ever before. Since the mid 90s, the rate of twin c-sections has increased significantly, according to the study authors.

In 2008, the last year included in the study, the c-section rate for twin deliveries was roughly 75 percent, significantly higher than the rate of 53 percent of 1995, and amounting to a five percent increase each year.

The researchers also noted that although many twin c-section deliveries are the result of complications, such as the position of the babies, this increase in the c-section rate was seen in healthy mothers and babies that had the option to deliver vaginally.

The study, which was published in medical journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, notes that about a third of all births in the U.S. are now cesarean section deliveries. Study authors also warn that although the rate of c-sections is on the rise, this type of delivery increases the risk of bleeding and infection for the mother, as well as certain types of injuries, so a Healing time following a cesarean section also means a longer stay in the hospital following delivery.
Cesarean sections can be potentially harmful to both mother and child. If you or a loved one experienced a difficult delivery or an injury that could have been prevented and have questions about the quality of the medical care you received, please call Silberstein, Awad & Miklos' birth injury lawyers for answers. We have helped clients with Bronx birth injury, Queens birth injury, Brooklyn birth injury, Manhattan birth injury and Long Island birth injury cases. Call us toll-free: 1-877-ASK4SAM

Ovarian Tumor Risk Increases with Fertility Treatment

According to a 15-year study which observed about 25,000 women, the risk of developing an ovarian tumor is higher for women receiving fertility treatments with ovary-stimulating drugs.

The study, led by Flora van Leeuwen of the Netherlands Cancer Institute, found that women who underwent in-vitro fertilization, or IVF, were twice as likely to develop either ovarian cancer or a borderline tumor, which is defined as a tumor with abnormal cells that may or may not become cancerous.

Of the 25,000 women included in the study, about 19,000 received IVF treatment. Among the group that received the treatment, 61 women had an ovarian malignancy, 31 of which were borderline tumors and 30 of which were invasive ovarian cancer.

The study’s findings were published in Oxford journal Human Reproduction.

A delay in diagnosing and treating ovarian cancer or any other form of cancer may allow the cancer to grow and spread, lowering a patient’s chance beating their cancer. If you or someone you love has been harmed by a delay in diagnosing or treating cancer, our cancer malpractice attorneys can help. Your initial consultation is free and there is no fee to you unless we recover money. Please call us today, or submit an instant inquiry now and we will respond within 24 hours. Silberstein, Awad & Miklos serves clients with Queens cancer malpractice, Bronx cancer malpractice, Brooklyn cancer malpractice, Manhattan cancer malpractice and Long Island cancer malpractice cases.

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