Actos Bladder Cancer
Actos Use Increases Bladder Cancer Risks: Millions of Actos Users Exposed to Risk of Bladder Cancer
Multiple studies by different and independent groups have all demonstrated that Actos use increases the risk of bladder cancer. Actos bladder cancer is a cancer that originates in the bladder, located in the center of the lower abdomen. Bladder cancer tumors may be classified as either papillary or flat (nonpapillary). While the exact cause of bladder cancer is not yet known, there are a variety of factors that may increase the risk of bladder cancer, including cigarette smoking and chemical exposure - and now prolonged Actos use has been shown to increase the risk of bladder cancer. Bladder cancer may spread to nearby areas, such as the prostrate in men, and throughout the rest of the body, including the lymph nodes, lungs, liver and bones. Bladder cancer occurs in 20 out of every 10,000 people in the United States, but for people taking Actos bladder cancer occurs at a much higher rate. Bladder cancer is a grave disease, despite ever-improving cancer treatments, and it is unthinkable that any company today, especially one engaged in healthcare, would knowingly expose its customers to even a slightly higher risk of bladder cancer, as Actos did.
Actos Bladder Cancer Risks Increase After Just One Year of Use
Cumulative Dose May Increase Actos Bladder Cancer Risks Most
Patient histories of persons diagnosed with bladder cancer after taking Actos indicate that both the dosage and duration combined have the greatest bearing on whether an Actos user will develop bladder cancer. Some medical experts are now pointing to a "threshold" amount of lifetime use of pioglitazone (Actos or Actoplus) over 28,000mg may produce the most dramatic increase of Actos bladder cancer risk. This means that individuals taking the higher dosages of Actos (30 and 45mg tablets) as well as those using Actos for more than a year may have the highest bladder cancer risk from Actos.
Actos Bladder Cancer Treatment
Modalities of treatment for bladder cancer include surgery, radiation treatment, chemotherapy or a combination thereof. Even when bladder cancer is detected early and responds well to treatment, the risk of it returning is high. Less than 50% of all persons with Stage III bladder cancer are cured. Bladder cancer is typically not treatable once it progresses to Stage IV.
Many of the persons diagnosed with Actos bladder cancer have been fortunate - as fortunate as one with bladder cancer can be - in that they were receiving regular medical care for their diabetes. While many factors have a bearing in the successful treatment of bladder cancer occurring after Actos use, early detection is key. Beyond that, different treatment methods, centers and even oncologists can all have a factor in both the ultimate success of bladder cancer treatment as well as how the patient is able to cope with the cancer treatment itself. Because bladder cancer was detected in the earliest Actos tests, The Onder Law Firm believes Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the maker of Actos, should be held responsible for all aspects of Actos bladder cancer - especially in making sure that the very best bladder cancer treatments are made available to persons with Actos bladder cancer. With early Actos bladder cancer detection and the necessary resources for treatment, it is our hope that everyone with Actos bladder cancer has a successful outcome.
Onder, Shelton, O'Leary & Peterson, LLC -