Prempro Alleged To Cause Breast Cancer

Anonymous · February 2010

I read this and thought it might interest some of our ladies who have taken this drug.

http://classactionblog.mdpcelaw.com/2010/01/articles/product-defect/prempro-alleged-to-cause-breast-cancer/

Class Action Blog

Posted at 4:50 PM on January 4, 2010 by Jerome Noll
Prempro Alleged To Cause Breast Cancer
46 Indiana women are planning to sue the pharmaceutical company Wyeth ("Wyeth") alleging that it sold its Prempro menopause medication without first warning the public that the medication can cause breast cancer. The Indiana women who plan to sue the drugmaker said they have a document that shows Wyeth officials were aware of the risks of Prempro and chose not to disclose it. They also claim Wyeth oversold the benefits of the drug, promoting it as helping bones and the heart as well as menopause symptoms.

In 2003, Wyeth disclosed that Prempro could cause breast cancer, but the admission came too late for many women who had been taking the drug between 1999 and 2003. Indeed, some women who were prescribed Prempro have allegedly developed breast cancer as a result. While Prempro is still on the market, it is the focus of lawsuits nationwide resulting in jury verdicts totaling more than $103 million. In fact, Pfizer -- the pharmaceutical company that now owns Wyeth -- has lost six of nine jury verdicts over its menopause drugs since the cases began going to trial in 2006. Jurors have ruled against the company in the last four verdicts in a row.

If you or someone you know were prescribed Prempro and have developed breast cancer, please contact us to discuss your legal options.

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dlb823 · February 2010

Thanks for posting that, Carole. I'm one of the women here who feels strongly that my bc was Prempro induced, and I had even made one inquiry about legal action -- because I wanted my voice heard. This class action lawsuit is contrary to what I was told, which is that each case must be considered and filed on its individual merits. Another point that was made to me is that anyone like me who continued to take Prempro after the Nurses' Study revealed a higher incidence of breast cancer for HRT users -- no matter what Wyeth & our doctors continued to say about its safety -- probably doesn't have a case, because, in essence, we should have known better. The other thing I learned was that the statute of limitations to file a claim in most cases is 2 years, so if you developed bc more than 2 years ago, you're out of luck -- unless Indiana is different.

But I really appreciate your posting this, and I think I will at least find out more about it. IMO, Wyeth deserves every judgment that's made against them, and I hope this one prevails. (Do you hear the anger starting to build?!) Deanna

Yazmin · February 2010

Efflorescing: Thanks for posting this.

I hear you, Deanna. But I am still confused: didn't Anondenet post something to the effect that HRT may not be the culprit, actually?

dlb823 · February 2010

Yazmin, I don't recall seeing whatever Anondenet posted about HRT (probably still suffering with chemo brain at the time), but would love to. I know I still have a lot of anger about what I feel were intentional coverups by Wyeth about the increased risk of bc for those of us on Prempro, as well as their fear-mongering re. what would happen to us if we got off it. Do you recall the gist of what Anondenet posted or where she posted it? Deanna

anondenet · February 2010

Here is the article that showed that BC patients who had taken HRT lived longer than those who took no hormones. The researchers ( two different studies found the same thing) think the HRT "pretreats" the cancer in some positive way.

Improved breast cancer survival among hormone
replacement therapy users is durable after 5 years of
additional follow-up

Dara Christante, M.D., SuEllen Pommier, Ph.D., Jennifer Garreau, M.D.,
Patrick Muller, B.S., Brett LaFleur, B.S., Rodney Pommier, M.D.

American Journal of Surgery, Oct 2008

Abstract
Background
We previously reported that breast cancer patients who used hormone
replacement therapy (HRT) had significantly lower stage tumors and higher
survival than never-users. We present an update with longer follow-up,
HRT use data, and in vitro research.

Methods
Our database of 292 postmenopausal breast cancer patients was updated
to include HRT type, duration, and disease status. In vitro effects of
estrogen (E) and/or medroxyprogesterone (MPA) on breast cancer cell
growth were measured.

******Results
Tumor prognostic factors were better and survival rates higher for both E
and combination HRT users of any duration. Use greater than 10 years
correlated with node-negative disease, mammographically detected
tumors, and 100% survival.********

Conclusions******HRT users, regardless of type or duration of HRT use, continued to have higher survival rates. ********** In vitro results supported the clinical finding that outcomes for users of E and E+MPA were similar.We previously reported that breast cancers in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) users were smaller, lower grade, more often node-negative, lower stage, and had significantly higher survival rates compared to those in never-users.1 Recent events have raised concerns about the impact of HRT on breast cancer. Particular concern has been raised about the use of combinations of estrogen (E) and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA). Results from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) trial indicated that breast cancers were more advanced among users of E and MPA (combination HRT) than among patients receiving placebo.2 This would be expected to result in lower survival rates among users of combination HRT. Concerns also exist about duration of HRT use and breast cancer.3, 4Due to these concerns, we investigated if the higher survival rate we reported was durable after an additional 5 years of follow-up.

dlb823 · February 2010

Oh, I do remember that now! Thanks for re-posting it, anom. If anything, I think the reason survival may be higher is that many of us on HRT had highly ER+ bc, so removing the HRT would naturally cause a significant change in susceptibility to an estrogen-fueled recurrrence. On the other hand, my bc was neither low grade nor node negative. There is also some research to show that the bc HRT users develop is often ILC, which is the trickier form of bc that tends to hide out and sometimes reappears more than 5 years down the road. So I'm not sure exactly what I think of this research. Obviously, I would love to believe it applies to me, but I guess I question its completeness, if that makes sense. Deanna

Anonymous · February 2010

anondenet ~ Thanks for posting that research. I was on HRT and have recently wondered if it was responsible for my BC.

Barb

mathteacher · February 2010

Deanna, I would agree with your logic that maybe when you stopped HRT you stopped the "fuel."

Except remember we were discussing that the Creasman review of all the studies found that estrogen didn't fuel the cancer in breast cancer patients taking HRT after diagnosis?

http://www.obgmanagement.com/pdf/1406/1406OBGM_Article1.pdf

Why didn't all those breast patients immediatlely get more recurrences from the so-called "fuel? Some studies showed they got less recurrence. My question is, WHEN will we know what's going on??? Seriously. Five years? Ten years?

AnneW · February 2010

I was on low-dose oral contraceptives when my bc was found. Stage 1, Grade 1, ER+. I remember reading a similar study then (8 years ago this week!) and firmly believe that the Pill kept my bc "fat, dumb, and happy." It was getting what it wanted, so it had no need to break away and find another source, so to speak.

It was IDC. However, my second primary (which I think was present at the time of the other, we just didn't know it) was an ILC.

Where does the answer lie? I think there are multiple answers, for multiple bc types and situations. There's probably a common thread to them all, but when will we know?? I think that's why it's dangerous to generalize about cancers and what "fuels" or "causes" them. We have our opinions, certainly, but those are not necessarily the facts.

Anne

Prempro Alleged To Cause Breast Cancer

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