A Georgia woman recently filed a lawsuit against Sanofi alleging that exposure to Taxotere, the company’s popular treatment for breast cancer, led her to suffer from permanent hair loss, also known as alopecia.

The plaintiff, Pamela F., says she began taking her Taxoteretreatment for breast cancer on Dec. 29, 2014. She continued her treatment for breast cancer for several weeks, through March 1, 2015.

Unfortunately, Pamela suffered from what many cancer patients do during chemotherapy: hair loss. The lawsuit alleges that Pamela lost her eyebrows, eyelashes, and hair on her scalp, causing severe bald spots.

While most cancer patients go into treatment for breast cancer aware that the chemotherapy drugs can cause hair loss, they generally expect that their hair will grow back after treatment is over. However, Pamela alleges her hair loss has persisted far past the end of her treatment for breast cancer. She has turned to litigation, alleging she was not adequately warned about the risk of permanent hair loss linked with the use of Taxotere during chemotherapy.

Pamela’s lawsuit was filed on July 20, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including failure to warn, negligence, and fraud and deceit, among others. Pamela’s husband Michael also filed on one count of loss of consortium.

Pamela’s is far from the first lawsuit to be filed over persistent hair loss after chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. If you have suffered from hair loss after treatment for breast cancer, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit and receive compensation.

Background of Taxotere

Taxotere (also known by its generic name, docetaxel) is a popular treatment for breast cancer manufactured by pharmaceutical giant Sanofi-Aventis. Since Taxotere’s approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1996, it has become one of the more popular chemotherapy drugs available on the market today.

Unfortunately, Taxotere is not without its risks. More and more patients are coming forward with allegations that Taxotere carries a higher risk of persistent hair loss after chemotherapy than other options, and that they were not adequately warned about this risk.

Hair Loss After Treatment for Breast Cancer

Hair loss is a common symptom associated with chemotherapy treatment—and indeed, the majority of cancer patients go into treatment aware that they will likely lose their hair. However, patients generally expect that their hair will grow back once their chemotherapy treatment is over. But a growing number of cancer patients like Nancy are finding their permanent problems with hair loss after chemotherapy to be much more lasting in nature than they ever expected.

Filing a Lawsuit Over Permanent Chemotherapy Hair Loss

If you or someone you love has suffered from persistent hair loss after chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer with a docetaxel medication like Taxotere, you may be able to file or join a lawsuit.

Filing a Taxotere lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering a cancer patient endures, or take away the effects of persistent hair loss after chemo, but it can help compensate for the financial expenses incurred by cancer treatment bills or even lost wages.

The Taxotere Treatment for Breast Cancer Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-06889-JTM-MBN, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.