(openPR) - Nadrich & Cohen, LLP reports that a new British study suggests that patients with metal hip implants may be at an increased risk for developing cancer.

Los Angeles, CA, February 10, 2012 – Following a report last week that British metal hip implant recipients could be at risk of experiencing systemic toxicity, news has surfaced that researchers are investigating the link between these devices and cancer.

According to a report in The Telegraph, researchers at the University of Bristol examined patient data for 72 individuals who had been implanted with a metal hip. The results indicated that 17 of the patients had experienced genetic damage to their bladder while three patients had developed cancer. Researchers are concerned that genetic damage suffered by so many of the patients could indicate the possibility of the formation of cancer as the result of cell mutation.

Concerns over the safety of metal hip implants in the United Kingdom have increased since the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced it would conduct a full-scale safety review of the devices. One of the primary issues associated with the metal hips is the shedding of small pieces of metal into the body as the device components rub together.

Health officials are particularly concerned over patients who received one of the now-recalled DePuy ASR hip implant systems. These devices were taken off the market in 2010 after data from the U.K. National Joint Registry suggested that the failure rate for these devices was as high as 12 to 13% within the first five years. DePuy, along with several other metal hip manufacturers, currently faces numerous lawsuits filed by patients who say the devices caused pain, swelling, infection, loss of mobility and other serious side effects.

The MHRA is advising patients who received a metal hip to report problems to their doctors but claims there is no evidence to support a cancer link. The full results of the study are scheduled to be presented at a meeting of the British Hip Society conference next month.

Patients who experience complications caused by a metal hip implant may be eligible to file a claim for compensation. These individuals are encouraged to seek the aid of an experienced personal injury lawyer to discuss their legal rights.

Nadrich & Cohen LLP is offering confidential, no-cost consultations to patients who believe they were injured by a DePuy metal hip. Help is available by calling the firm’s injury hotline at 1-800-718-4658 or by completing an online contact form at www.depuyhipreplacementlawyers.net.

Nadrich & Cohen LLP is a national law firm with offices in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and other cities throughout California specializing in handling mass tort actions and representing individuals in cases involving pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers. The firm is committed to achieving the best outcome possible in every case and has recovered over $200 million in settlements on behalf of its clients.

In addition to handling DePuy hip injury claims, the firm is also investigating cases involving Yaz, Actos, Zoloft, Fosamax, Paxil, Wright Conserve Hips, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, Benzene, Reflex Sympathy Dystrophy, Fen Phen and Asbestos exposure. For more information, visit www.personalinjurylawcal.com.

Jennifer Poole
National Client Intake Coordinator
Nadrich & Cohen LLP
12100 Wilshire Blvd.
Suite 1250
Los Angeles, CA 90025
800-718-4658
info@personalinjurylawcal.com
www.personalinjurylawcal.com