The Impact of Permanent Hair Loss on Some Cancer Survivors

Patients have a right to know all of the potential side effects of drugs that could permanently alter their lives

Friday, September 29, 2017 - Receiving a diagnosis of cancer is one of our life's most traumatic events. The first thing a person wants to know is how advanced their cancer is, has cancer spread to other vital organs, and what type of treatment the doctor recommends. If cancer has advanced to multiple parts of the body, chemotherapy is usually the treatment of choice for oncology physicians. Of course, when chemotherapy is chosen a doctor is obligated to explain the adverse side effects that a patient can expect so that the patient can weigh the pros and cons and make their own decision. Of all of the negative side effects of chemotherapy, nausea, fatigue, irritability, hair loss ranks amongst a patient's highest concerns.

Permanent Hair Loss Comes As A Shock

While most cancer patients are willing to accept temporary hair loss, it comes as a shock when their hair loss becomes permanent. Taxotere is an anti-cancer chemotherapy drug that has been widely used by American cancer doctors to treat advanced stages of breast, lung, pancreatic and other serious, life-threatening cancers. Taxotere is so toxic that chemo treatments are required only half as often as other anti-cancer drugs that had been in use before doctors switched to Taxotere and this increase in convenience was marketed by Sanofi to doctors as a testimony to the effectiveness of the drug. What was not mentioned, however, is that this increase in toxicity causes about 10% of cancer survivor's temporary hair loss to become permanent causing a host of psychological complications for all its victims and especially for women. Cancer survivors are naturally grateful for beating the deadly disease but are now faced with the emotional trauma of permanent hair loss.

Consequences of Permanent Emotional Trauma

A person faced with a lifetime without head hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes probably will experience other complications in other areas of their life such as their occupation, family, and social life. Those faced with severe depression may be unfriendly and irritable and no longer be pleasurable to be around. This could cause one to be fired from their job or passed up for a promotion. Those severely depressed can even become violent through no fault of their own and take out their frustration on coworkers, family members, and friends. Other cases of depression manifest themselves in the patient being shut into their home unable to even get out of bed. Permanent baldness depression can make a person who now must wear a wig, false eyebrows, and eyelashes, so self-conscious that they are afraid of the ridicule they may face should they even leave the house to go shopping or participate in other activities that previously made them happy.

Sanofi-Aventis, the maker, and distributor of the highly-toxic, anti-cancer drug Taxotere, knew years ago that their drug was linked to permanent hair loss but did nothing to warn the American medical community. Over 1000 Taxotere permanent hair loss victims have filed suit against the company claiming that the company had an obligation to inform doctors and their patients so that they could make an informed decision about the drug they chose to treat their disease.

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
• Women Were Not Given a Choice of Cancer Drugs | 11/1/2017
• 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.