Women Were Not Given a Choice of Cancer Drugs

All of the adverse side effects of anti-cancer chemotherapy drug Taxotere must be taken into consideration

Wednesday, November 1, 2017 - Receiving a cancer diagnosis can be one of life's most traumatic moments, not only for the potential death sentence that the disease carries but also for the pain and suffering that surgery, anti-cancer radiation, and chemotherapy entails. As with any life-threatening disease cancer patients rely on the skills and expertise of specialized cancer doctors called oncologists whose medical practice focuses on treating cancer patients only. Cancer patients literally place their lives in the hands of their cancer physician without questioning their experience, training or ethics. Once a cancer patient accepts their cancer diagnosis the majority of patients simply do what they are told to do and that usually includes chemotherapy. A new, frightened, and vulnerable cancer patient may at best seek a second opinion of the initial cancer diagnosis before surrendering their will to that of their doctor.

Certain chemotherapy side effects are expected. A cancer patient expects that their doctor will fully explain the side effects of the chemotherapy prior to starting the treatment and perhaps the patient could be given alternatives from which to make an informed decision. Cancer patients anticipate nausea, vomiting, tiredness, and temporary hair loss from chemotherapy treatment. Certainly, no one expects that a doctor would recommend a cancer treatment with side effects that are more injurious than the disease that the chemotherapy was intended to treat without warning the patient in advance. That may be the case, however, as 10-15% of cancer patients given the chemotherapy drug Taxotere could face a lifetime of emotional pain and suffer from Alopecia, a condition that results in "permanent, irreversible and total hair loss."

Thousands of cancer patients experiencing Alopecia permanent hair loss are filing Taxotere hair lawsuits against Sinifi-Aventis, the maker of Taxotere alleging they were uninformed that Alopecia was a potential side effect. These lawsuits have shed on the Taxotere hair loss issue and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has tightened regulations and require Sinofil to inform cancer patients using Taxotere of the potential side effect of permanent hair loss. Taxotere now carries a "black box warning," the FDA's most serious warning reserved only for drugs or devices that carry potentially life-threatening side effects.

Taxotere cancer patients in the U.S. are now finding out about the Taxotere-Alopecia link but for many, it is too late. Sanofi-Aventis updated its Taxotere Canadian warning label as early as 2005 to warn that permanent hair loss was a potential side effect but failed to so warn the American public. As a result, tens of thousands of women with cancer were given Taxotere without the knowledge of the potential for permanent hair loss or their right to make an informed decision. Plaintiffs allege that had they known of the potential for permanent hair loss they would have chosen a less toxic form of chemotherapy. It is possible that Sinofil knew of the potential for permanent hair loss presented by Taxotere and deliberately failed to warn doctors or the public.

More Recent Taxotere Hair Loss Lawsuit News:

• Taxotere Alopecia Warning Limited to the Fine Print | 5/17/2019
• Women that have to undergo chemotherapy for the first time face great anxiety | 5/6/2019
• Taxotere Patients Denied Their Right To Make An Informed Decision | 4/24/2019
• Patients Must Be Made Aware Of Taxotere's Three Major Side Effects | 4/18/2019
• Women Are Angry Over Sanofi Failing To Warn About The Possibility of Permanent Hair Loss | 4/12/2019
• Women Undergoing Cancer Treatments Are Taking Better Care of Themselves to Limit Hair Loss | 4/5/2019
• Taxotere Permanent Hair Loss Has Devastating Psychological Implications For Patients | 3/25/2019
• Taxotere Causes Alopecia Which Can Be Psychologically Damaging | 3/20/2019
• Drug Makers Need To Write Clearer, More Descriptive Drug Warnings Starting With Taxotere | 3/18/2019
• Taxotere Lawsuits May Teach Doctors a Valuable Lesson | 3/13/2019
• Taxotere Permanent Baldness Warning | 4/30/2018
• Taxotere Chemotherapy and Permanent Hair Loss | 4/26/2018
• Sanofi Sales Representatives Oversold Taxotere | 4/24/2018
• Scientific Study Confirms Permanent Taxotere Hair Loss | 4/12/2018
• Chemotherapy Drug Side Effects | 4/9/2018
• Cancer Doctors Fail to Warn Patients | 4/4/2018
• Taxotere's Psychological Side Effects | 3/13/2018
• Permanent Hair Loss Can Lead to Depression | 3/6/2018
• A Woman's Hair is Linked to Their Feminity | 2/23/2018
• Studies Indicate Taxotere Causes Permanent Hair Loss | 2/14/2018
• Taxotere's Ambiguous Hair Loss Warning | 2/5/2018
• Permanent Hair Loss Makes the Fear of Growing Old All Too Real | 12/29/2017
• Thousands of Women File Taxotere Hair Loss Lawsuits | 12/27/2017
• Taxotere Patients Psychological Trauma Result in Lawsuits Against Sanofi-Aventis | 12/22/2017
• Scientific Studies Point to Taxotere Hair Loss | 12/18/2017
• Cancer Patients Right to Make an Informed Decision | 12/13/2017
• How Women Think About Chemotherapy Hair Loss | 12/11/2017
• The Emotional Side Effects of Alopecia | 12/8/2017
• Taxotere May Cause Permanent Hair Loss | 12/4/2017
• Women Equate Baldness With Masculinity | 11/27/2017
• Symptoms of Permanent Hair Loss | 11/21/2017
• Taxotere's Warning May Have Come Too Late For Many | 11/15/2017
• Taxotere Benefits and Side Effects | 11/9/2017
• The Impact of Permanent Hair Loss on Some Cancer Survivors | 9/29/2017
• The Emotional Side Effects of Permanent Hair Loss For Women Are All Too Real | 9/22/2017
• Taxotere is Highly Toxic and Causes Permanent Hair Loss | 9/15/2017
• 10-15 Percent of Cancer Patients Given Taxotere Develop Permanent Hair Loss | 9/8/2017
• Permanent Hair Loss From Taxotere is a Real Possibility | 9/1/2017
• Taxotere Permanent Hair Loss Lawsuits | 7/21/2017
• Permanent Hair Loss Caused by Taxotere | 6/26/2017
• Taxotere Warnings Now Include Permanent Hair Loss | 6/19/2017
• Taxotere Hair Loss Lawsuits Focus on Warning Label | 6/12/2017
• Permanent Hair Loss in Some Taxotere Users Delivers Secondary Blow to Cancer Patients | 6/5/2017

Lawyers for Taxotere Hair Loss Lawsuits

Onder, Shelton, O'Leary & Peterson, LLC is a St. Louis personal injury law firm handling serious injury and death claims across the country. Its mission is the pursuit of justice, no matter how complex the case or strenuous the effort. Onder, Shelton, O'Leary & Peterson has represented clients throughout the United States in pharmaceutical and medical device litigation such as Pradaxa, Lexapro and Yasmin/Yaz, where the firm's attorneys held significant leadership roles in the litigation, as well as Actos, DePuy, Risperdal and others. The Onder Law Firm has won more than $300 million in four talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuits in St. Louis. Law firms throughout the nation often seek its experience and expertise on complex litigation.