No, it is not anticipated that home testing for breast cancer, ovarian cancer or prostate  cancer will be available any time in the near future.  However cervical cancer is unique due to it’s associated risk with the human papillomavirus (HPV or genital warts), 13 of it’s 100 variants apparently cause cancer.

The issue [...]]]> Source:  BBC Health News

No, it is not anticipated that home testing for breast cancer, ovarian cancer or prostate  cancer will be available any time in the near future.  However cervical cancer is unique due to it’s associated risk with the human papillomavirus (HPV or genital warts), 13 of it’s 100 variants apparently cause cancer.

The issue is so serious that a vaccine for HPV was introduced in the past few years and made available to school-aged girls.  So then what role does testing play?  First, not all women are receiving vaccinations for HPV.  Second, not all women are undergoing routine screening for HPV at their gynecologist’s or primary care provider’s office.  For these women, the availability of a reliable home test could be an option.

HPV causes cellular damage even after the initial infection clears.  A simple swab may collect damage cells and tell doctors a great deal about a woman’s risk for the development of cervical cancer.  Were it only that all medical solutions were simple solutions.

~Posted by D.M. Schwadron, Esquire

Rates of new diagnoses and rates of death from all cancers combined declined significantly in the most recent time period for men and women overall and for most racial and ethnic populations in the United States.

The drops are driven largely by declines in rates of new cases and [...]]]> Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention

Rates of new diagnoses and rates of death from all cancers combined declined significantly in the most recent time period for men and women overall and for most racial and ethnic populations in the United States.

The drops are driven largely by declines in rates of new cases and rates of death for the three most common cancers in men (lung, prostate, and colorectal cancers) and for two of the three leading cancers in women (breast and colorectal cancer). New diagnoses for all types of cancer combined in the United States decreased, on average, almost 1 percent per year from 1999 to 2006. Cancer deaths decreased 1.6 percent per year from 2001 to 2006.

These findings are from a report authored by researchers from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Cancer Society (ACS), and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR). The report was published early online Dec. 7, 2009, in the journal Cancer.

Overall cancer rates continue to be higher for men than for women, but men experienced the greatest declines in incidence (new cases) and mortality (death) rates. For colorectal cancer, the third most frequently diagnosed cancer in both men and women, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, overall rates are declining, but increasing incidence in men and women under 50 years of age is of concern.

With accelerated cancer control efforts to get more Americans to adopt more favorable health behaviors (such as quitting smoking) and higher use of screening (colonoscopy), as well as optimal treatment outcomes for colorectal cancer (read more effective chemotherapy), there could be an overall colorectal cancer mortality reduction of 50 percent by 2020.

“The continued decline in overall cancer rates documents the success we have had with our aggressive efforts to reduce risk in large populations, to provide for early detection, and to develop new therapies that have been successfully applied in this past decade,” said NCI Director John E. Niederhuber, M.D. “Yet we cannot be content with this steady reduction in incidence and mortality. We must, in fact, accelerate our efforts to get individualized diagnoses and treatments to all Americans and our belief is that our research efforts and our vision are moving us rapidly in that direction.”

“The continued decline in incidence and death rates for all cancers combined is extremely encouraging, but progress has been more limited for certain types of cancer, including many cancers that are currently less amenable to screening, such as cancer of esophagus, liver and pancreas,” said Betsy Kohler, executive director of NAACCR.

Long-term incidence trends for colorectal cancer have been fairly consistent for men and women, with major declines from 1985 to1995, minor increases from 1995 to1998, and significant declines from 1998 to 2006.

“This report shows that we have begun to make progress reducing colorectal cancer. Yet, colorectal cancer still kills more people than any other cancer except lung cancer,” said CDC Director Thomas Frieden, M.D.

Let’s hope this trend continues downward on incidence and upward on survival.

~Posted by D.M. Schwadron, Esquire

_ You or a loved one were significantly injured from a surgical error or complication of surgery

_ You or a loved one were significantly injured from improper medical care or treatment

_ You or a loved one were diagnosed with breast, ovarian, prostate or other cancer after a year [...]]]> You MAY have a medical malpractice case if:

_ You or a loved one were significantly injured from a surgical error or complication of surgery

_ You or a loved one were significantly injured from improper medical care or treatment

_ You or a loved one were diagnosed with breast, ovarian, prostate or other cancer after a year or more of having symptoms

_ You or a loved one experienced stroke, heart attack or pulmonary embolism after being discharged from a hospital ER

_ You or a loved one contracted a serious infection while in a hospital

_ You or a loved one have bed sores or broken bones from a fall during a nursing home stay

_ You or a loved one experienced significant injury while being treated at a Veterans’ Hospital

_ You or a loved one were prescribed the wrong medication or too much medication

_ Your baby experienced hypoxia, birth asphyxia or brain injury following delivery due to a delay in delivery

_ Your baby experienced shoulder dystocia or nerve injury to the shoulder, arm and hand following delivery

_ You or a loved one are having a hard time getting answers from your doctor or hospital

_You or a loved one are having problems getting your medical records from your doctor or hospital

_ The records from your doctor or hospital do not accurately reflect the care you received

If you have checked Yes to any of these questions and (IN PA and NJ) the medical treatment at issue occurred within the past 2 years, you MAY have a medical malpractice case.  The Lewis Law Firm, PC will provide you with a free initial consultation to determine whether you have a medical malpractice case.

Complications, including significant injury or death, following medical treatment create confusion in addition to pain and loss.  You may have “a gut feeling” that something went wrong.  You may be too uncertain or even embarrassed about questioning medical care to consult with a lawyer.

The above is a quick check list of “red flags” which might indicate that your “gut feeling” is correct.  Obviously one can never determine from a checklist whether you actually have a medical malpractice case.  But these are certainly some good questions to start with.

Posted by David Marc Schwadron, Esquire

Companion studies to that previously mentioned here in this blog http://www.medicalmalpracticelawyerblogphiladelphia.com/?p=21 support the notion that Ovarian Cancer is problematic for clinicians and patients alike.

The British Medical Journal Study (Bristol) reviewed charts of over 200 women diagnosed with cancer finding that symptoms associated with Ovarian Cancer were reported by [...]]]> Source: British Medical Journal; Cancer Research UK

Companion studies to that previously mentioned here in this blog http://www.medicalmalpracticelawyerblogphiladelphia.com/?p=21 support the notion that Ovarian Cancer is problematic for clinicians and patients alike.

The British Medical Journal Study (Bristol) reviewed charts of over 200 women diagnosed with cancer finding that symptoms associated with Ovarian Cancer were reported by patients to their doctors 3-6 months before actually being diagnosed.

Ovarian Cancer has historically been described as a “silent killer” because there are few associated symptoms and it is often diagnosed in advanced stages.

So what symptoms may be important?  Abnormal vaginal bleeding, palpable masses, and abdominal distension or permanent bloating. The fact that symptoms were reported in this study has lead researchers to conclude that Ovarian Cancer is not silent after all but  “Its sound is going unheard.”

posted by David Marc Schwadron, Esq.

Early detection of ovarian cancer (at less than 1 cm) continues to elude medical providers according to researchers. Currently, ovarian cancers are detected only in advanced stages resulting in high mortality (death rate) and a poor prognosis.

The majority of deaths to ovarian cancer are cause by serous tumors. [...]]]> Source: PLoS Medicine, July 28, 2009

Early detection of ovarian cancer (at less than 1 cm) continues to elude medical providers according to researchers. Currently, ovarian cancers are detected only in advanced stages resulting in high mortality (death rate) and a poor prognosis.

The majority of deaths to ovarian cancer are cause by serous tumors. Unfortunately, these tumors are rarely larger than a few millimeters in the early stages. The researchers, funded by the Canary Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, found that serous tumors spend at least 4 years in Stage I and II and as little as 1 year in stage III or IV before becoming clinically apparent. Not promising news.

To achieve a 50% reduction on death to serous ovarian cancer, the annual screening test would be required to detect tumors of 0.5 cm in diameter. Unfortunately for women with this pathology, there are currently no tests for ovarian cancer which are that sensitive. Despite the prevalence of ovarian cancer research on more sensitive screening is only in it’s infancy.

posted by David Marc Schwadron, Esq.

Methodology under review was screening with transvaginal ultrasound (TVU) and serum biomarker CA 125. The majority of Ovarian Cancers identified were at late stage (III or IV). [...]]]> An important and recently published study funded primarily by the National Cancer Institute suggest that current screening for ovarian cancer fails to detect the disease in its early stage.

Methodology under review was screening with transvaginal ultrasound (TVU) and serum biomarker CA 125. The majority of Ovarian Cancers identified were at late stage (III or IV). At this stage, treatment options are limited and chance of cure is substituted with palliative treatment measures. Unfortunately current annual screening also was cited with false positive test results which lead to unnecessary surgeries in otherwise healthy patients.

Clearly better and more reliable screening is required to reduce the high rate of mortality associated with Ovarian Cancer and it’s late diagnosis. An abstract of the study is currently available in: Obstet Gynecol. 2009:113:772-774, 775-782.

posted by David Marc Schwadron, Esq.