If you or a loved one were a non-smoker and were diagnosed with laryngeal (larynx) cancer, pharyngeal (pharynx) cancer, or other type of throat cancer after using a recalled Philips CPAP, BiPAP or ventilator machine, you may be entitled to recover compensation from a CPAP throat cancer lawsuit case or settlement claim.
A team of medical device injury lawyers and class action attorneys is investigating potential lawsuit cases and settlement claims of non-smoking individuals who were diagnosed with throat cancer after using or being treated with a recalled Philips CPAP, BiPap or ventilator.
Throat cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the throat (usually in the pharynx or muscular tube that starts behind the nose and ends in the neck, or in the larynx or voice box) when cells in the throat (usually in the flat cells that line the inside of the throat) become abnormal (i.e., their DNA mutates) and begin to grow out of control.
CPAP Throat Cancer Lawsuit Cases
CPAP throat cancer lawsuit cases and settlement claims potentially being investigated include claims of non-smoking patients who, after using a recalled Philips C-PAP, BiPAP or ventilator, were diagnosed with cancer:
- Throat cancer
- Laryngeal cancer (larynx cancer)
- Pharyngeal cancer (pharynx cancer)
- Glottic cancer
- Supraglottic cancer
- Subglottic cancer
- Nasopharyngeal cancer (nasopharynx cancer)
- Oropharyngeal cancer (oropharynx cancer)
- Hypopharyngeal cancer (hypopharynx cancer)
- Esophageal cancer (esophagus cancer)
- Laryngopharyngeal cancer (laryngopharynx cancer)
- Tracheal cancer (trachea cancer)
- Tonsil cancer
- Tongue cancer
- Squamous cell carcinoma of the throat
- Adenocarcinoma of the throat
- Sarcoma of the throat
- Other types of cancer
In June of 2021, the FDA issued a safety communication informing those who used certain Philips ventilators, BiPAP, and CPAP devices that Philips was recalling the devices because of potential health risks, including toxic and carcinogenic effects, related to polyester-based polyurethane sound abatement foam degradation and/or off-gasing. Recalled Philips machines include DreamStation, C-Series, Dorma CPAP, OmniLab Advanced+, REMstar CPAP, SystemOne, A-Series BiPAP, Garbin Plus, Aeris, LifeVent Ventilator, Trilogy Ventilator and E30.
Types of Throat Cancer
Throat cancers can classified by the type of cells from which the cancer orginates, such as squamous cell carcinoma (develops in the thin, flat cells that line the throat), adenocarcinoma (begins in the glandular cells of the throat), sarcoma (develops in the muscle fibers or connective tissues of the neck) and lymphoma (grows in lymphatic tissue in the throat). Most throat cancers are classified as squamous cell carcinoma.
Throat cancers can also be categorized according to the part of the throat where they develop, such as in the back of the mouth, tonsils, voice box, base of the tongue, sinus and nasal cavities, salivary glands, soft palate and lymph nodes in the neck. Laryngeal cancer (cancer that forms in the larynx) and pharyngeal cancer (cancer of the pharynx) are the two most common types of throat cancer.
Laryngeal (Larynx) Cancer Cases
Laryngeal cancer (or larynx cancer) is a type of throat cancer that forms in the larynx or voice box (a part of the throat, between the base of the tongue and the trachea, that contains vocal cords which vibrate and make sound when air is directed against them).
Laryngeal cancer includes supraglottic cancer (which develops in the supraglottis or upper part of the larynx and involves cancerous cells that affect the epiglottis or flap of cartilage at the root of the tongue that blocks food from entering the windpipe), glottic cancer (which develops in the glottis or middle part of the larynx where the vocal cords are located), and subglottic cancer (which forms in the subglottis or lower part of the larynx, below the vocal cords and between the vocal cords and the trachea or windpipe).
Pharyngeal (Pharynx) Cancer Cases
Pharyngeal cancer (or pharynx cancer) is a type of throat cancer that forms in tissues of the pharynx (the hollow tube inside the neck that starts behind the nose and ends at the top of the windpipe and esophagus).
Pharyngeal cancer includes nasopharyngeal cancer (which develops in the nasopharynx or upper part of the throat, behind the nose), oropharyngeal cancer (which develops in the oropharynx or middle part of the throat, behind the mouth and potentially in the tonsils), and hypopharyngeal cancer (which starts in the hypopharynx or lower part of the throat, above the esophagus and windpipe).
Signs & Symptoms of Throat Cancer
Signs and symptoms of throat cancer can include:
- Changes in voice
- Hoarseness
- Crackling voice
- Difficulty speaking clearly
- Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
- Ear pain or earache
- Jaw pain
- Swelling of eyes, jaw throat or neck
- A lump in the mouth, throat or neck
- White patches or sores in the mouth or throat
- Unintended weight loss
- Persistent cough
- Wheezing
- Persistent sore throat
- Constant need to clear your throat
- Bleeding in mouth or nose
- Trouble opening mouth
- Trouble moving tongue
- Headache
- Other throat cancer symptoms
Throat cancer complications can include, among others, airway obstruction, neck disfigurement, inability to adequately swallow (dysphagia), malnutrition, requiring a feeding tube, voice abnormalities, disfigurement, loss of taste, tracheo-innominate artery fistula and pharyngocarotid artery fistula, throat cancer metastasis to other parts of the body and/or death.
Tools and procedures used to diagnose throat cancer can include a medical history, family history, physical exam, imaging tests (x-rays, CT scans, PET scans, MRIs, ultrasounds, etc.), lab tests (blood tests), scoping procedures (such as panendoscopy, laryngoscopy or pharyngoscopy) and biopsy of the throat, among others.
Treatments for Throat Cancer
Treatment for throat cancer can include surgery (laryngectomy to remove all or part of voice box, pharyngectomy remove part of throat, neck dissection to remove cancerous lymph nodes, cordectomy to remove all or part of vocal cords, supraglottic laryngectomy to remove supraglottis or endoscopic surgery to remove small throat cancers via scraping, cutting or vaporizing), radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and/or targeted drug therapy, among others.
If you or someone you love were a non-smoker who used a C-PAP, Bi-PAP or ventilator machine and were diagnosed with laryngeal (larynx) cancer, pharyngeal (pharynx) cancer, or other type of throat cancer, you may be entitled to compensation from a CPAP throat cancer lawsuit case or settlement claim. Contact a medical device injury lawyer to request a free case review.
*If you or a loved one are experiencing health issues, side effects or complications from a medical device or healthcare product, we urge you to promptly consult with your doctor or physician for an evaluation.
**The listing of a company (e.g., Koninklijke Philips N.V. or Royal Philips, Philips North America LLC, or Philips RS North America LLC) or product is not meant to state or imply that the company acted illegally or improperly or that the product is unsafe or defective; rather only that an investigation may be, is or was being conducted to determine whether legal rights have been violated.
***The use of any trademarks, tradenames or service marks is solely for product identification and/or informational purposes.
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