Actos Side Effects May Increase Risk of Prostate Cancer: JAMA Study
Just months after Takeda Pharmaceuticals agreed to settle thousands of Actos bladder cancer lawsuits, a new study funded by the company appears to indicate that use of the type 2 diabetes drug may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer and prostate cancer.
For the study, a research team led by Dr. Assiamira Ferrara of Kaiser Permanente Northern California looked at data on more than 193,000 patients age 40 and older from 1997 to 2002. The researchers were looking for potential links between Actos use and 11 different kinds of cancer.
While earlier studies identified a link between the drug and bladder cancer, the new research found no such correlation. However, the study did find that Actos users were 41% more likely to be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and 13% more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer.
“The increased prostate and pancreatic cancer risks associated with ever use of pioglitazone merit further investigation to assess whether they are causal or are due to chance, residual confounding, or reverse causality,” the researchers concluded.
Prostate Cancer Symptoms
According to the Mayo Clinic, prostate cancer is a disease that occurs in a man’s prostate — a small, walnut-shaped gland that produces the seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm. In its early stages, prostate cancer may cause no signs or symptoms; however, when the disease is more advanced symptoms may include:
- Trouble urinating
- Decreased force in the stream of urine
- Blood in the semen
- Discomfort in the pelvic area
- Bone pain
- Erectile dysfunction
Treatment
Depending on the stage and situation, treatment options for men with prostate cancer may include:
- Expectant management (watchful waiting) or active surveillance
- Surgery
- Cryotherapy
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Vaccine treatment
- Bone-directed treatment
Do I Have an Actos Prostate Cancer Lawsuit?
The Product Liability and Defective Drug Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in Actos lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new prostate cancer cases in all 50 states.
Free Actos Prostate Cancer Lawsuit Evaluation: Again, if you or a loved one got prostate cancer after taking Actos, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing an Actos Suit and our lawyers can help.