Chemotherapy treatment is meant to cure individuals of cancer, prolong life, or is used for palliative care.
Unfortunately, the chemotherapy drugs used during treatment can also have side effects of their own that last long after treatment has ended. These side effects can be permanent, leading to serious quality of life issues that have nothing to do with the original cancer.
One chemotherapy drug in particular – Taxotere (docetaxel) – which is manufactured by Sanofi-Aventis, currently has 8,000 pending lawsuits, particularly among breast cancer survivors. Plaintiffs are filing lawsuits for false marketing and the company’s role in downplaying the severity of the drug’s side effects. One of the major side effects of Taxotere is watery eyes (epiphora) caused by lacrimal duct obstruction (LDO) and keratoconjunctivitis (dry eye syndrome) which has lead to issues such as constant itchiness, swollen eyelids and increased eye “floaters.”
If you or a loved one is fighting against excessive tearing caused by a chemotherapy drug, contact Hotze Runkle PLLC today at (877) 919-0830 for a consultation.
What is Taxotere?
Taxotere is an anti-cancer chemotherapy drug used to treat a variety of cancers including breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, neck cancer, stomach cancer and head cancer. The drug was first approved twenty years ago for metastatic breast cancer and has since affected thousands of cancer patients with its long-term side effects, particularly epiphora (watery eyes), but also others such as alopecia (permanent hair loss).
These side effects can cause irreparable harm to an individual’s quality of life including affecting their mental health.
About Sanofi-Aventis: The Manufacturer Behind Taxotere (Docetaxel)
Sanofi S.A. is a French multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Paris, France, and the world’s fifth-largest by prescription sales. The company merged with Aventis in 2004.
Despite marketing Taxotere since 1998, it wasn’t until 2014 that Sanofi and the FDA released a full description of warnings and adverse reactions for patients who used specific doses of the drug. This information surely would have made cancer patients think twice about choosing this particular chemotherapy drug, if the information had been available to them earlier.
Health Complications Caused by Taxotere
Because Sanofi-Aventis failed to provide adequate warning about Taxotere’s side effects, particularly epiphora (excessive tearing), thousands of cancer patients have suffered long-term and permanent damages even after they successfully defeated their cancer.
Some of the specific eye-related issues chemotherapy drugs such as Taxotere cause include:
- Excessive tearing (epiphora)
- Blurred or dulled vision
- Clouding of the lens of the eye
- Loss of areas of vision (cystoid macular edema)
- Headaches
- Sensitivity to light
- Eye infections
- Dry eyes (keratoconjunctivitis sicca)
- Swollen eyelids
Epiphora can affect patients in two primary ways: either by an overproduction of tears and mucus or by preventing the proper draining of tears through the lacrimal apparatus. The lacrimal apparatus is the system of ducts and sacs that create the tears and then moves them out through the nasal cavity.
The obstruction of these ducts can occur as a result of infection, an inflammatory disorder, physical trauma, or surgery. In some cases, bacteria can also cause infection and blockage of these ducts.
When the tear ducts are blocked, tears begin to build up in the tear sac and can increase the risk of infection that can lead to inflammation next to the eye.
Treatment for excessive tearing depends on the severity of the problem as well as the cause. One of the most commonly recommended treatments is a surgical procedure known as
dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR). However, this treatment can cause health issues as well including scarring, post-surgery infections, or Jones tubes – which are used to facilitate the flow of tears from the eyes to the nose – may migrate leading to a need for additional surgery.
About the DCR Procedure
The consequences of Taxotere’s unadvertised side effects ranged from constant physical pain and discomfort (itchiness, swelling) to a reduction in a victim’s quality of life due to psychological or emotional damage (e.g., caused by alopecia or permanent hair loss).
Excessive tearing (epiphora), in particular, can lead to difficulty reading, driving, issues with eyesight, and can negatively affect a patient’s quality of life. Treatment of this side effect depends on how severe the problem is. In mild cases, the doctor may just monitor the patient’s health to ensure that no major damage is caused. In severe cases, surgery may be encouraged.
The surgical procedure to create a new channel from the tear sac to the inside of the nose is known as dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR). This surgery is intended to allow the tears to bypass the blocked duct and work correctly.
However, there are a number of risks associated with the DCR procedure including:
- Excessive bleeding
- Prominent facial scars
- Infection
- Displaced stent that can lead to other eye-related issues
- Abnormally fused tissue in the nose
- Non-effective procedure
- Blindness may occur with damage to the infraorbital vessels or optic nerve
These risks differ according to things such as age, health conditions, and the reasons for the procedure.
FAQs About Excessive Tearing Caused by Chemotherapy Drugs
1. Who are the victims of excessive tearing caused by chemotherapy drugs?
Anyone who has suffered long-term and permanent side effects or damage such as physical pain and discomfort, or even emotional or psychological distress as a result of chemotherapy drug treatment, has a case for product liability against the manufacturer.
Generally speaking, however, excessive tearing has profoundly affected breast cancer survivors. Individuals who have undergone chemotherapy treatment for prostate, lung, stomach, neck and head cancer may also be susceptible to excessive tearing.
2. Do I have a successful claim against the company that hurt me?
If your life, physical or mental health has been negatively affected, then the short answer is yes — you may have a case. Product liability lawyers can review your medical records and help you determine whether you are one of the thousands of cancer patients who have fallen victim to the permanent and long-term chemotherapy drug side effects that you never ‘signed up’ for.
3. Should I sue a chemotherapy drug manufacturer if my cancer was successfully treated?
Sometimes cancer patients are hesitant to “complain” about side effects either because they accept them as normal consequences of treatment or they are so grateful to beat cancer that they minimize post-cancer side effects. Going through chemotherapy does not mean you have to bear or accept any subsequent side effects if the pharmaceutical company has failed to adequately inform or warn you, or has deliberately been guilty of false marketing or downplaying the severity of side effects.
The battle of a cancer survivor is a life-changing experience. Life after chemotherapy should be long and full of happiness. If Taxotere or another chemotherapy drug has destroyed, reduced or damaged this happiness, then you have a legal right to hold the pharmaceutical company responsible for your pain.
Hotze Runkle PLLC has fought hard to represent people who have suffered permanent side effects as a result of corporations putting profits over people. The attorneys at Hotze Runkle PLLC continues to hold these corporations like Sanofi-Aventis responsible for negligence, false marketing, and downplaying the severity of their chemotherapy drug’s side effects.
Do not hesitate to contact the product liability lawyers of Hotze Runkle PLLC at (877) 919-0830 if you or a loved one are suffering from excessive tearing as the result of being treated with a chemotherapy drug such as Taxotere.