A Colorado Taxotere hair loss lawsuit may be an option for chemotherapy patients who took Taxotere and suffered permanent hair loss. Taxotere is a form of chemotherapeutic treatment used to treat breast cancer as well as other forms of cancer, including prostate, lung, and head and neck cancer. While temporary hair loss is often a side effect of chemotherapy, permanent hair loss has been linked to treatment using Taxotere. Affected patients and their families may be eligible to file a Colorado Taxotere lawsuit and pursue compensation for damages.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Colorado today. Our consultations are free, confidential and without any obligation on your part. We can help answer your questions, and if you choose to pursue a claim we can connect you with an affiliated Colorado Taxotere hair loss lawsuit attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
What is Taxotere and How Does It Work?
There are many forms of cancer treatment, and the type of treatment a patient may receive will depend on the type of cancer and how advanced it is. Taxotere may be used alone or with other drugs to treat locally advanced or metastasized breast cancer, advanced stomach cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, prostate cancer, and locally advanced head and neck cancer that cannot be treated with surgery. Taxotere works by stopping the division and growth of cancer cells.
Taxotere and Permanent Hair Loss
Some types of chemotherapy may cause hair loss, or alopecia. Hair usually grows back anywhere from two to three months after chemotherapy treatment has ended, however, permanent hair loss has been associated with the use of Taxotere when used to treat some types of cancer.
In 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued updated safety information noting that cases of permanent alopecia had been reported.
In November 2014, researchers from the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in the United Kingdom presented the results of a questionnaire sent to patients who had received docetaxel (Taxotere) during 2010 relating to patients’ experience with hair loss. According to the presentation’s abstract, significant persistent hair loss was reported in 15.8% (21 out of 134 respondents) of those that responded to the questionnaire. Additionally, patients’ observations confirmed a significant impact on quality of life.
Taxotere Hair Loss Lawsuit Claims
Lawsuits filed in Ohio and Illinois allege that although hair loss is a common side effect related to chemotherapy drugs, permanent hair loss is not. Through its publications and marketing material, Sanofi S.A. and its related companies and predecessors, misled the plaintiff, the public, and the medical community to believe that patients’ hair would grow back.
Lawsuits also allege that, as a result of the drug maker’s wrongful and deceptive acts, thousands of patients were exposed to the risk of disfiguring permanent alopecia without any warning and without added benefit. Likewise, plaintiffs claim that the drug makers preyed on one of the most vulnerable groups of individuals at the most difficult time in their lives, failing to provide (among other claims) adequate warnings about the true safety risks associated with the use of Taxotere.
Taxotere Side Effects and Risks
According to the Mayo Clinic, serious side effects that may occur with the use of Taxotere when used to treat certain kinds of cancer include:
- Burning, numbness, tingling, or pain in the arms, hands, legs, or feet
- Swelling of the stomach, face, fingers, hands, feet, or lower legs
- Unusual tiredness or weakness
- Weight gain
- Blood in the urine or stools
- Dizziness
- Tightness in chest
- Difficult or painful urination
- Difficulty swallowing
- Unusual bleeding or bruising
Common side effects of Taxotere that may go away as the body adjusts to the treatment include constipation; diarrhea; dryness or soreness of the throat; nausea; sores or ulcers on the lips; tongue, or insides of the mouth; and weakness in the arms, hands, legs, or feet.
The chance of death in patients who receive Taxotere to treat certain types of cancer is higher if the patient has liver problems, receives high doses of the medication, or have non-small cell lung cancer and have been treated with chemotherapy medicines that contain platinum.
How a Colorado Taxotere Hair Loss Lawsuit Can Help
Drug manufacturers have a duty to ensure their products are accompanied by full and accurate instructions and warnings to guide prescribing doctors and other health care providers in making treatment decisions. If a drug maker fails to fulfill this duty, it could be held liable in lawsuits for injuries that may result.
Patients who are injured by Taxotere may be entitled to compensation for damages, including:
- Medical expenses
- The permanency of the injury
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish
- Loss of income or ability to work
If a patient dies from complications after taking Taxotere, family members may be entitled to compensation for the wrongful death of their loved one.
Patients who have suffered severe side effects, including permanent hair loss, after taking Taxotere, as well as the families of those who have died as a result of complications with the drug, are encouraged to seek the advice of a Colorado Taxotere hair loss lawsuit attorney to learn more about their rights and remedies.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Colorado. When you contact us, an attorney will follow up with you to speak with you about your case or answer questions that you might have. There is no cost or obligation to speak with us, and any information you provide will be kept confidential.
Please note that the law limits the time you have to pursue a claim or file a lawsuit for an injury. If you think you have a case, you should not delay taking action.
