If you or a loved one were a non-smoker and were diagnosed with tongue cancer after using a recalled Philips CPAP, BiPAP or ventilator machine, you may be entitled to recover compensation from a CPAP tongue 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 tongue cancer or carcinoma after using or being treated with a recalled Philips CPAP, BiPap or ventilator.
Tongue cancer is a type of oral/mouth cancer or throat cancer that develops in the tongue (most commonly in the squamous cells on the surface of the tongue) when the cells in the tongue change or mutate and divide out of control to form a cancerous growth or tumor.
According to the National Cancer Institute, more than 17,900 tongue cancer cases were diagnosed in the United States in 2021 and more than 2,800 patients died from tongue cancer.
CPAP Tongue Cancer Lawsuit Claims
CPAP tongue cancer lawsuit cases and settlement claims potentially being investigated include claims of non-smoking CPAP patients who, after using a recalled Philips C-PAP, BiPAP or ventilator machine, were diagnosed with tongue cancer, including the following, among others:
- Tongue cancer
- Cancer of the oral tongue
- Cancer of the base of the tongue (oropharyngeal cancer)
- Squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue
- Tongue tumor
- Other types of oral/mouth or throat cancer
- Other types of cancer lawsuit cases
In June of 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an alert informing the public that Philips was recalling certain of its ventilators, BiPAP, and CPAP machines (e.g., DreamStation, C-Series, Dorma CPAP, OmniLab Advanced+, REMstar CPAP, SystemOne, A-Series BiPAP, Garbin Plus, Aeris, LifeVent Ventilator, Trilogy Ventilator and E30) because of possible health risks (such as potential toxic and carcinogenic effects) related to polyester-based polyurethane sound abatement foam in the devices possibly degrading and/or emitting gases.
Types of Tongue Cancer Cases
There are two types of tongue cancers: cancer of the oral tongue (which comprises the front 2/3 of the tongue) and cancer of the base of the tongue (which comprises the back 1/3 of the tongue and extends down the throat or pharynx, sometimes referred to as oropharyngeal cancer).
Tongue cancer is sometime classified by how aggressive it is and how likely it is to spread to other parts of the body (i.e., low grade tongue cancer, moderate tongue cancer and high grade tongue cancer).
Signs & Symptoms of Tongue Cancer
Signs and symptoms of tongue cancer can include:
- Tongue pain
- Sores on tongue
- Pain in jaw
- Pain in throat
- Stiff tongue
- Stiff jaw
- Hard to swallow (dysphagia)
- Difficulty moving jaw
- Difficulty moving tongue
- White patches on tongue (leukoplakia)
- Red patches on tongue (erythroplakia)
- Tongue ulcer that does not heal
- Numbness in mouth or tongue
- Bleeding from tongue
- Lump on tongue
- Feeling as if something caught in throat
- Lump in mouth
- Lumps under tongue on floor of mouth
- Lump in neck
- Ear pain
- Voice changes
- Hoarse voice
- Other tongue cancer symptoms
Tongue cancer complications, including complications from tongue cancer treatment, can include infection, bleeding, aspiration, fistula, neurotoxicity, injuries from radiation, oral mucositis, anemia, poor nutrition, dental problems such as abnormal tooth development, impaired ability to swallow, eat, taste and speak, mental health issues, tongue cancer metastasis to other parts of the body and/or death.
Tools and procedures used by a doctor to diagnose tongue cancer can include a medical history, family history, physical exam of tongue and neck, imaging tests (x-ray, CT scan, PET scan, MRI, etc.) of mouth and throat, lab tests, and a tongue biopsy, among others.
Tongue Cancer Treatments
Treatment for tongue cancer can include surgery (such as a glossectomy to remove of all or part of the tongue, surgery to remove tumors or cancer that may have spread to other areas such as lymph nodes in the neck and/or reconstruction surgery to rebuild the tongue such as a radical forearm flap), radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and/or targeted drug therapy, among others.
It has been estimated that the 5-year survival rate (i.e., the percentage of patients who would be expected to survive the effects of cancer after five years) for patients with tongue cancer is 68.1%.
If you or someone you love were a non-smoker who used a C-PAP, Bi-PAP or ventilator machine and were diagnosed with tongue cancer, you may be entitled to compensation from a CPAP tongue 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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