An Iowa Taxotere hair loss lawsuit may be an option for chemotherapy patients who took Taxotere and suffered permanent hair loss. Taxotere, a chemotherapy drug used to treat breast, prostate, non-small cell lung cancer, stomach, and head and neck cancers, has been linked to permanent, disfiguring hair loss. Affected patients and their families may be eligible to file an Iowa Taxotere lawsuit and seek compensation for damages.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Iowa 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 attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
What is Taxotere?
Taxotere is a type of chemotherapy medication usually given to treat various stages of breast cancer. Taxotere may also be used to treat other forms of cancer, including non-small cell lung cancer, hormone refractory prostate cancer, stomach cancer, and head and neck cancer. Taxotere may be used on its own or in combination with other forms of chemotherapy to treat these types of cancers.
How Does Taxotere Work?
Taxotere is an injected chemotherapy treatment. Its active ingredients are known as taxanes (compounds extracted from yew trees) and work by stopping cancerous cells from dividing and multiplying.
Taxotere and Permanent Hair Loss
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released updated safety information in 2015 noting that cases of permanent hair loss related to the use of Taxotere have been reported.
In June 2011, an article published in the American Journal of Dermatopathology reported that there is increased evidence that certain chemotherapy treatments may cause dose-dependent permanent alopecia (hair loss). In the article, the authors indicate a total of ten cases of permanent alopecia after systematic chemotherapy; six of those treatments used docetaxel (Taxotere) to treat breast cancer.
Many cancer patients, particularly women who have been treated for breast cancer and who have allegedly experienced the effects of permanent hair loss after being treated for cancer with Taxotere, may find it difficult to cope with their condition.
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.
Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges that Sanofi S.A. either knew or should have known that a Denver-based oncologist had observed that an increased percentage (6.3%) of his patients who had taken Taxotere suffered from permanent disfiguring hair loss in the years proceeding their treatment with Taxotere. According to the lawsuit, thousands of women were exposed to the risk of permanent alopecia without any warning and without any benefit as a result of the drug maker’s wrongful and deceptive acts.
Plaintiffs claim that they experienced permanent alopecia as a result of taking Taxotere, leading severe and permanent injuries including medical expenses; mental anguish; severe and debilitating emotional distress; and past, present, and future physical and mental pain, suffering, and discomfort.
Taxotere Side Effects
Serious side effects of Taxotere include:
- Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), a type of blood cancer, can happen in people who take Taxotere along with certain other medications.
- Changes in blood counts due to leukemia and other blood disorders may occur years after treatment.
- Symptoms associated with neuropathy, including numbness, tingling, or burning in the hands and feet may occur.
- Severe, sometimes life-threatening fluid retention may occur during treatment.
According to the FDA, common side effects of Taxotere include:
- Decreased appetite
- Shortness of breath
- Constipation
- Changes in fingernails and toenails
- Temporary hair loss
- Skin reactions at the site of injection, including increased skin pigmentation, redness, tenderness, swelling, and warmth or dryness of the skin
- Swelling of the hands, face, or feet
- Mouth or lip sores
How an Iowa 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, including:
- Conscious pain and suffering of a loved one prior to death
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish from the loss of a loved one
- Funeral expenses
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 an Iowa Taxotere hair loss lawsuit attorney to learn more about their rights and remedies.
The Time You Have to Pursue a Claim is Limited. Contact Us Today.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Iowa. You can fill out the form on this page, call us at the number listed at the top of the page, or email us at info@attorneygroup.com.
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.
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