A Tennessee Taxotere hair loss lawsuit may be an option for chemotherapy patients who took Taxotere and suffered permanent hair loss. Primarily used to treat locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer, Taxotere is a type of chemotherapy medication that may also be used to treat head and neck cancer, stomach cancer, prostate cancer, and lung cancer. Temporary hair loss is often a side effect of chemotherapy treatments, however, Taxotere has been associated with permanent hair loss. Affected patients and their families may be eligible to file to a Tennessee Taxotere lawsuit and pursue compensation for damages.
Prudkov/iStock/ThinkstockFor more information, contact Attorney Group for Tennessee 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 and How Does It Work?
Taxotere, also known as docetaxel, can be used on its own or in combination with other medications to treat certain types of breast, lung, prostate, stomach, and head and neck cancers. In some rare cases, Taxotere may be used to treat ovarian cancer.
In normal cell division, cells stop dividing when they come in contact with like cells through a process called inhibition. Cancerous cells, however, no longer have the ability to stop dividing and limit cell division. Taxotere works by slowing and disrupting cell growth, potentially causing cancerous tumors to shrink.
Taxotere and Permanent Hair Loss Studies
According to A Head of Our Time, a worldwide organization of people (mostly women) who have suffered from breast cancer and who have been left permanently bald by the effects of chemotherapy drugs such as Taxotere, there are numerous accounts of patients who have experienced permanent alopecia (hair loss) after being treated with Taxotere.
A study conducted at the Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers in Denver, Colorado, noted a 6.3 percent increase in patients who had taken Taxotere and suffered from permanent, disfiguring hair loss in the years proceeding treatment with Taxotere.
In the late 1990s, Sanofi S.A. and Aventis Pharma S.A. (makers of the drug) sponsored and/or were aware of the GEICAM 9805 study indicating that 9.2% of patients who took Taxotere had persistent hair loss for over 10 years or longer.
Taxotere Hair Loss Lawsuit Claims
A Taxotere hair loss lawsuit has been filed in Illinois claiming that the drug maker, Sanofi S.A., knew or should have known that the rate of permanent alopecia related to Taxotere was far greater than with other products available to treat the same condition as Taxotere.
According to the lawsuit, women who suffer from permanent baldness as a result of the use of Taxotere suffer great mental anguish as well as economic damages, including but not limited to the loss of work or inability to work due to significant psychological damage.
Despite the drug maker’s knowledge of the relevant findings from the GEICAM 9805 study, as well as reports from patients who had taken Taxotere and suffered from permanent hair loss, the lawsuit alleges that Sanofi S.A. failed to provide accurate information and proper warnings to physicians, healthcare providers, and patients in the United States, although such warnings were made known to patients and regulatory agencies in other countries.
Taxotere Side Effects
Side effects of Taxotere include:
- Changes in white and red blood cell count
- Risk of infection, particularly at the site of injection
- Feeling tired, breathless, or dizzy
- Bruising and bleeding
- Hair loss (alopecia)
- Numbness and tingling in the hands and feet
- Joint and muscle pain
- Fluid retention and weight gain
Other Taxotere Risks
Severe and sometimes deadly side effects have occurred with the use of Taxotere. Patients who have liver problems or receive higher doses of the drug may face a greater risk of potentially serious side effects, including death. Patients with certain forms of lung cancer who have previously been treated with platinum-based chemotherapy are at a greater risk as well.
How a Tennessee 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.
KatarzynaBialasiewicz/iStock/ThinkstockPatients 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 a Tennessee 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 Tennessee. 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.
See our Frequently Asked Questions page for more information, and contact Attorney Group for Tennessee today.
