Taxotere is an intravenous chemotherapy medicine used to treat several types of cancer, including breast cancer.

Like many chemotherapy treatments, the drug may result in temporary hair loss, but it may also cause permanent hair loss.

Now, the manufacturer of Taxotere, Sanofi, is under investigation. The company may have known about the risks of permanent Taxotere side effects but failed to warn patients of the possibility.

About Taxotere

Taxotere, also known by its generic name Docetaxel, is an anti-cancer chemotherapy drug. It is prescribed for the treatment of breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, advanced stomach cancer, head and neck cancer, and metastatic prostate cancer. It is administered intravenously, often in combination with other chemotherapy drugs.

Taxotere in particular is part of a class of medications derived from plants. The medicine targets specific cells during certain parts of their cell cycle.

Rapid cell division is the hallmark of cancer, and targeting cells before, during, and after the division process leads to cell death, and the reduction or elimination of the cancerous cells. Many chemotherapy treatments work in a similar manner, and all have varying degrees of side effects.

Taxotere Side Effects

However, the breast cancer drug has been linked with a range of devastating long term Taxotere side effects – most notably, permanent chemotherapy hair loss. In addition to increasing the risk of no hair growth after chemo, Taxotere side effects may include:

• Pain / swelling at the injection site
• Numbness in fingers and toes (neuropathy)
• Fatigue
• Bone, joint, or muscle pain
• Low white blood cell count
• Nausea – Vomiting
• Mouth or throat sores
• Anemia
• Fluid retention and/or weight gain
• Increased rates of infection
• Diarrhea
• Excessive tearing
• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Constipation
• Loss of appetite

Sanofi, the company that makes Taxotere, is being investigated for failing to adequately warn that the product may cause permanent chemotherapy hair loss in some users.

Chemotherapy hair loss may occur in the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes or elsewhere on the body, and typically begins 3-4 weeks after the first dose.

While lack of hair growth after chemo is temporary, 15 percent of women who took Taxotere suffered permanent hair loss, according to a study by the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI). Nearly 3 million U.S. women currently have a history of breast cancer, and about 75 percent of them are treated with Taxotere.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for Taxotere-induced hair loss. However, cold caps — tightly fitting, strap-on hats filled with cold gel — may help lessen chemotherapy hair loss.

Because the caps are cold, they constrict blood vessels beneath the skin of the scalp, reducing the amount of chemotherapy drug that reaches the hair follicles. With fewer medications in the follicles, the hair may be less likely to fall out.

Taxotere Side Effects Lawsuits

As of December 2015, the FDA has required Taxotere to include a warning on its label regarding the potential side effect of permanent hair loss. Although few have been filed Taxotere lawsuits thus far, hundreds and perhaps thousands of Taxotere side effects lawsuits are expected to be filed across the country in the near future as a result of this recent Taxotere label revision.

The physical and emotional trauma women with breast cancer endure through the treatment process is immeasurable. Combining the permanency of no hair growth after chemo from Taxotere side effects can be devastating.

Patients who suffered permanent hair loss or other long term side effects after being treated with Taxotere may be able to pursue compensation to assist with medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more through the filing of a Taxotere lawsuit.