Taxotere (docetaxel) is one of the most commonly used chemotherapy drugs for breast cancer, but has recently come under fire for a sensitive side effect.

Numerous women have reportedly developed permanent hair loss after breast cancer treatment using this drug.

Many have filed legal action against manufacturing company Sanofi-Aventis.

Considering the popularity of Taxotere, patients and their physicians are trying to understand what can cause permanent hair loss after breast cancer treatment.

Patients who are prescribed Taxotere receive the drug once every three weeks compared to paclitaxel, which is a drug in the same medication class.

The idea of less intensive chemotherapy is an attractive prospect for any cancer patient, but recent studies of permanent hair loss are making oncologists a little more wary of the drug.

Ever since its approval by the FDA in 1996, Taxotere has been approved to treat breast cancer, lung, cancer, head and neck cancer, prostate cancer and stomach cancer.

Overview of Chemotherapy Hair Loss

To understand why permanent hair loss after breast cancer treatment may be occurring after using this drug, it is important to understand why hair loss occurs at all from breast cancer treatment.

Like most chemotherapy drugs, Taxotere works by stopping the cancer cells from dividing into new cells and ultimately blocks the progression of the disease.

However this treatment mechanism is exactly why most patients experience hair loss, as the chemotherapy drugs target all rapidly dividing cells and not just the cancer cells.

Hair follicles are some of the fastest growing cells in the body, which divide every 23 to 72 hours under normal circumstances.

As the chemotherapy drug does its work by destroying hair cells and other fast growing cells, patients often start experiencing hair loss within a few weeks of starting chemotherapy.

Hair loss occurs differently in all patients, with some experiencing gradual or dramatic amounts with varying progressions.

The severity of the hair loss depends on the chemotherapy drugs used, as well as the duration of the chemotherapy treatment.

As mentioned before, Taxotere is prescribed on a minimal basis, but patients have still reported permanent hair loss after breast cancer treatment.

In addition even if patients experience complete baldness, patients can still typically expect their hair to grow back. This has not been the case with many Taxotere patients, with many of them complaining they did not know permanent hair loss after breast cancer treatment was a potential risk.

In December 2015, the FDA gave a public warning to patients and doctors that Taxotere may induce permanent hair loss. The agency also stated that an update would be added to the drug’s warning label to address the risk.

Sanofi-Aventis allegedly knew of the risk for years, but failed to notify patients of the possibility and also allegedly downplayed the risk of permanent hair loss after chemotherapy treatment.

Patients who suffered permanent hair loss after using Taxotere for chemotherapy treatment may be eligible for legal action, and should contact a specialized lawyer.