Have you recently suffered from serious eye issues after taking chemotherapy drug Taxotere? If so, you aren’t alone.
In December 2015, the FDA acknowledged that the drug could cause permanent side effects such as Canalicular Stenosis—a serious condition of the eyes. As of March 2017, more than 3 million women reportedly had a history of breast cancer in the United States, and around 75% of them were prescribed Taxotere. Many patients who have suffered from permanent side effects after chemotherapy with Taxotere already have come forward with lawsuits for the severe side effects they suffered.
The Connecticut Taxotere attorneys at Hotze Runkle PLLC will be ready to stand up for you and help you hold the manufacturer of the drug accountable for the side effects that you were not adequately warned of but suffered from anyway. Our team of experienced defective drug attorneys has the skills, resources, and experience necessary to help you get the justice you’re owed.
What is Taxotere?
Doctors use the powerful chemotherapy drug Taxotere to treat various forms of cancer. However, women suffering from breast cancer most notably use Taxotere from treatment. Taxotere stops the spread of cancer cells in the body by interrupting the cell while it is dividing and multiplying, stopping its growth. Although temporary side effects are common with chemotherapy treatment, irreversible damage is not.
During chemotherapy with Taxotere, many women experience eye-watering associated with epiphora, or a watering eye—one of the most common symptoms of many eye diseases. It’s more than just a minor inconvenience. Symptoms are chronically debilitating and interfere with everyday tasks like reading, writing, and driving. Vital eye structures called Canaliculi act as a roadway for tears to travel from the tear duct to the nasal cavity. If anything obstructs your canaliculus, tears will build up and uncontrollably exit from the eye in sometimes heavy amounts. Long-term inflammation of your canaliculus leads to an infection.
Canalicular Stenosis is an eye condition that occurs when the obstructed canaliculus closes. Canalicular Stenosis is (according to the National Institutes of Health) caused by taking Taxotere (also known as docetaxel).
Taxotere Causes Canalicular Stenosis
Canalicular Stenosis is a reaction of Taxotere experienced fundamentally by breast cancer survivors. The side effects go from gentle to serious and starts at the beginning of chemotherapy treatment. It begins with consistent eye-watering and can from into something lasting and irreversible. In the beginning, periods where people just experience the side effects of epiphora, there are treatment choices.
Consistent evaluation by an eye doctor and the use of eye drops could help to manage eye-watering. A topical steroid is also useful in reducing inflammation of the canaliculi and preventing it from closing. However, in cases of severe Canalicular Stenosis, surgical intervention this can lead to very serious surgery to treat this symptom if not caught soon enough. All surgeries come with risks. Any of the following problems could arise after undergoing either procedure:
- Blindness
- Further eye infections
- Ineffective results
- Migration of the Jones tube within the body
- Rejection of the Jones tube by the body
- Significant and permanent facial scars
- Sinusitis
- Tissue damage
- Uncontrollable bleeding
You must notify your eye doctor of any unusual symptoms while receiving Taxotere. You could request a referral to an eye doctor to determine a possible diagnosis of canalicular stenosis. The sooner you treat your symptoms, the less likely you’ll have to deal with them for the rest of your life.
How Does Canalicular Stenosis Develop and What Are the Symptoms?
Epiphora, or a watering eye, is one of the most common symptoms of many eye diseases. Taxotere mixes with other bodily fluids as it travels through the bloodstream. This contact between the secretions from the drug and your tears cause inflammation to the canaliculus, which leads to infection. Some people find it easy to dismiss their symptoms as regular side effects of drug therapy, but unfortunately, symptoms continue to progress long after their chemotherapy treatment ends. Without necessary medical intervention, canalicular stenosis develops.
The most common symptoms reported from a diagnosis of canalicular stenosis include:
- Blurry vision
- Eye infections
- Eye irritation or redness
- Overflow of tears on the cheek
- Sensitivity to light
- Swollen eyelids
- Watery eyes
- Worsening vision
Can Filing A Lawsuit Really Help Me?
Taxotere has been important to treating breast cancer patients for just about 20 years; in any case, increasingly more breast cancer survivors who have encountered the long-haul harmful side effects of the drug and have begun to file lawsuits against Sanofi-Aventis, Inc., the producers of the drug, in the past few years. Thousands of women claim that the corporation intentionally concealed information about the potential permanent side effects of Taxotere to maximize profits.
It is important for anyone suffering from cancer to talk with their doctors about the medication that they’re prescribing and their options. Arming patients with information about their options before starting chemotherapy is the only acceptable course of action.
A breast cancer survivor filed the first major lawsuit in March of 2015 and argued that the company did not inform her of Taxotere’s side effects and suffered from permanent injuries. The company, consequently, kept women from settling on educated choices about their wellbeing at a crucial time in their life. In December of 2015, Taxotere was forced by the FDA to state that permanent hair loss was possible on the label, but even then, they did not list the other potentially permanent side effects like Canalicular Stenosis.
After this initial lawsuit, dozens more women filed their own lawsuits. Finally, in October of 2016, so many women had filed lawsuits, the courts decided to combine the claims into what is known as multi-district litigation. This system allows plaintiffs to pool resources to fight the multi-billion-dollar company, but, unlike a class action, keeps each claim anonymous.
Do I Qualify for a Lawsuit?
Under Connecticut law, there’s a three-year statute of limitations for product liability cases. That means you have three years from the date you discovered your injury, or from the date your doctor diagnosed your injury, to bring legal action against the pharmaceutical company. After three years, you lose your right to sue for compensation from the company.
There are also laws that control the amount of your compensation if you win your case. The compensation you receive reimburses you for any expenses you incurred as a result of your injury. The amount of damages you could seek depends on five factors. If you only experienced minor symptoms that required minimal treatment, you might not receive much compensation. In situations involving surgery and many months of recovery, you could seek the highest compensation available. The factors used to determine how much your case is worth including:
- If you missed days from work
- The amount of time you received treatment
- The quality of your enjoyment of life has decreased
- The seriousness of your injury; and
- The type treatment you required (e.g., surgery)
It’s difficult to determine an exact amount of compensation in any case; however, your attorney generally demands an amount to cover all your past and future expenses. We aim to ensure no costs are your financial responsibility.
I live In Connecticut. Who Can Help Me with My Case?
Hotze Runkle PLLC takes on complex cases to seek justice for those victimized by pharmaceutical companies like Sanofi. We believe in creating a safe space, for our clients. We always provide superior customer service and work efficiently to resolve your case promptly.
If the chemotherapy drug Taxotere harmed you, then our attorneys can help. If you or someone you love has been affected by some degree of Canalicular Stenosis after being treated with Taxotere for breast cancer, it may be time to act. The case is currently moving forward in the courts and time is running out.
All prospective clients receive a free consultation with one of our dedicated attorneys. If you had cancer and have developed watery eyes/tears after chemotherapy then take our Case Quiz to find out if you qualify for a Taxotere lawsuit against Sanofi.