Problems with Actos bladder cancer have reportedly caused many patients to express concerns to their doctors about the risk.

As with all drugs, Actos comes with a risk of potential side effects. But some users of Actos say that they were never told about the bladder cancer risk until they’ve already received a cancer diagnosis.

Actos is given to patients who have been diagnosed with type-2 diabetes in conjunction with diet and exercise that is designed to improve blood sugar control. Some of the serious side effects related to Actos, according to emedicinehealth, include dark urine, upper stomach pain, nausea, jaundice, and itching, which can indicate symptoms of significant liver damage.

While these liver damage side effects are disclosed in the drug’s patient information, a growing number of patients argue that they were not told about the possibility that they could develop Actos bladder cancer in the future. Multiple people who have taken this medication have had bladder cancer and have alleged that the manufacturer failed to disclose and have alleged that they should have been warned so that they could make an informed decision about whether or not to use the drug.

Symptoms and Signs of Bladder Cancer

Being able to identify whether or not current signs and symptoms of bladder cancer exist can give a patient the opportunity to communicate with their physician about whether or not it is recommended that the patient continue taking the drug.

According to the American Cancer Society, bladder cancer can often be detected early because it includes urinary symptoms such as blood in the urine. Blood in the urine is typically the first sign of bladder cancer. The color of the urine may change to pink, dark red, or orange when bladder cancer is present. The early stages of bladder cancer may cause little or no pain but some bleeding.

Some of the most common symptoms of changes in bladder habits or irritation that patients should be aware of when taking Actos include:

• burning or pain during urination
• having to urinate more frequently than usual
• having difficulty urinating

Advanced bladder cancer can often be detected due to symptoms such as bone pain, lower back pain on one side, weight loss and loss of appetite, feeling weak or tired and being unable to urinate. Any patient who believes that they might have developed bladder cancer as a result of the use of the diabetes medication Actos should report these concerns to their physicians immediately.

The growing number of patients who allege the development of Actos bladder cancer has led to an enormous amount of litigation against the drug’s manufacturer. Some of these patients have turned to file an Actos lawsuit, alleging that the manufacturer knew or should have known about the risk and failed to warn the medical community or the public at large.