If you or a loved one were diagnosed with thyroid cancer after using a recalled Philips CPAP, BiPAP or ventilator machine, you may be entitled to recover compensation from a CPAP thyroid 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 individuals who were diagnosed with thyroid cancer after using or being treated with a recalled Philips CPAP, BiPAP or ventilator.
Thyroid cancer is a type of endocrine cancer that develops in the thyroid gland (a gland in the the front part of the neck or throat that makes hormones called follicular cells that help regulate metalbolism, body temperature, weight, energy level, heart rate and the body’s use of calcium) when malignant or abnormal cells begin to grow out of control.
According to the American Cancer Society, about 43,800 thyroid cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed annually in the U.S. (women are almost 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with thyroid cancer than men) and about 2,200 deaths are expected from thyroid cancer.
CPAP Thyroid Cancer Lawsuit Cases
CPAP thyroid cancer lawsuit cases and settlement claims potentially being investigated include claims of individuals who, after using a recalled Philips C-PAP, BiPAP or ventilator, were diagnosed with cancer, including the following thyroid cancers:
- Thyroid cancer
- Anaplastic thyroid cancer
- Poorly differentiated thyroid cancer
- Anaplastic carcinoma (undifferentiated carcinoma)
- Other types of cancer lawsuit cases
In June of 2021, the FDA issued a safety alert notifying the public that Philips was recalling certain ventilators, BiPAP, and CPAP devices (including the DreamStation, REMstar and other machines) because of potential health risks, including toxic and carcinogenic effects, related to polyester-based polyurethane sound abatement foam degradation and/or off-gasing possibly related to the devices.
Thyroid Cancer Injury Claims
The most common form of thyroid cancer, papillary carcinoma, comprises about 80 percent of all thyroid cancer cases and typically develops slowly from follicular cells in the lobes of the thyroid. Follicular carcinoma, the next most common form of thyroid cancer, comprises about 10 percent of all cases. Other forms of thyroid cancer are more rare.
Signs & Symptoms of Thyroid Cancer
Thyroid cancer signs and symptoms can potentially include:
- Lump in neck
- Nodule in neck
- Throid nodule
- Unusual swelling in the neck
- Swollen lymph nodes in neck
- Neck pain
- Voice changes
- Breathing difficulty
- Coughing
- Trouble swallowing
- Fatigue
- Hoarseness or loss of voice
- Other thyroid cancer symtpoms
Thyroid cancer complications can include, among others, complications from surgery (such as injury to the voice box, hypoparathyroidism, hypocalcemia, vocal cord or fold paralysis, infection, blood clots, low calcium levels, etc.), need for thyroid hormone replacement, thyroid cancer metastasis to other parts of the body and/or death.
Tools and procedures used by doctors, such as an endocrinologist, to diagnose thyroid cancer can include a medical history, family history, physical exam, thyroid blood test (to check hormone levels), biopsy of thyroid (to test for thyroid cancer cells), laryngoscopy, radioiodine scan and imaging tests (x-rays, CT scans, PET scans, MRIs, ultrasounds, barium swallow, etc.), among others.
Thyroid Cancer Treatments
Treatment for thyroid cancer can include surgery (such as a lobectomy, thyroidectomy, or lymph node removal to remove cancer cells), radioiodine therapy (to shrink or destroy diseased thyroid gland cells), radiation therapy (such as external beam radiation therapy or EBRT, intensity modulated radiation therapy or IMRT, or TomoTherapy), chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and other targeted drug therapies.
If you or someone you love used a C-PAP, Bi-PAP or ventilator machine and were diagnosed with thyroid cancer, you may be entitled to compensation from a CPAP thyroid 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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