In a front-page story, the Wall Street Journal (7/30) reports that the pharmaceutical giant, Johnson & Johnson, is withdrawing its laparoscopic power morcellator due to data showing that it can spread undetected cancer. This important story has also been reported by Bloomberg News (7/31), Reuters (7/30), USA Today (7/31), the AP (7/30), the Pittsburgh Business Times (7/30) and TIME (7/30).
The morcellator tool is used during uterine procedures to “slice up common uterine masses called fibroids, and uteruses themselves, into fragments so they can be removed in minimally invasive surgery.” (Wall Street Journal, 7/30)
J&J previously suspended the sale of new morcellators in April after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a safety communication advising doctors not to use the tool. Specifically,FDA concluded that “based on an analysis of currently available data, it poses a risk of spreading unsuspected cancerous tissue, notably uterine sarcomas, beyond the uterus.”
The FDA determined that approximately 1 in 350 women who are undergoing hysterectomy or myomectomy for fibroids have an unsuspected type of uterine cancer called uterine sarcoma. It further noted, “If laparoscopic power morcellation is performed in these women, there is a risk that the procedure will spread the cancerous tissue within the abdomen and pelvis, significantly worsening the patient’s likelihood of long-term survival.”
According to an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in March, more than 20,000 minimally invasive or robotic hysterectomies are done annually.
The law firm of Zoll & Kranz (“ZK”) devotes its practice to the field of pharmaceutical and medical device litigation. ZK is dedicated to compelling companies to produce safer products. Injured clients and partnering attorneys from across the U.S. appreciate and rely upon over 50 years of combined experience in pharmaceutical mass torts and multidistrict litigation. ZK’s experienced team includes a practicing physician-attorney and all the technology, knowledge and experience necessary to succeed in this complex legal field.
ZK is currently investigating claims of individuals who were diagnosed with cancer after a uterine procedure using a power morcellator device. For more information about morcellators or if you were diagnosed with cancer after a hysterectomy or myomectomy (removal of uterine fibroids) using a power morcellator device, contact ZK toll-free at (888) 841-9623 or visit the firm’s website at www.toledolaw.com. Initial consultations are always free and confidential.
