Leiomyosarcoma Lawsuit

Leiomyosarcoma, a rare but aggressive cancer of the uterus, can potentially spread throughout a woman’s abdomen if she has a hysterectomy or fibroid surgery using a power morcellator. Several manufacturers are now facing lawsuits from women who allege that they were not adequately warned about this risk.

What You Can Do & How a Leiomyosarcoma Lawsuit Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting leiomyosarcoma injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was injured by a morcellator, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Medical Device Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

What is the problem?

With early diagnosis, leiomyosarcoma can often be treated with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. However, long-term prognosis is much worse for women who are diagnosed after being treated with a morcellator. Power morcellators grind up tissue and may leave particles of cancer behind, which can “seed” leiomyosarcoma throughout a woman’s abdomen. Click here to read more.

Leiomyosarcoma Lawsuit Filed in Philadelphia

March 2014 — The husband of a woman who died of leiomyosarcoma has filed a lawsuit against manufacturers of the power morcellator that was used in her hysterectomy, reports Philly.com.

The woman, Donna Burkhart, underwent a hysterectomy in March 2012, and died of metastatic leiomyosarcoma in February 2013. She was 53 years old. The lawsuit alleges that she was never warned “about the possibility of seeding an undiagnosed cancer” when undergoing a hysterectomy using a morcellator.

Woman with Leiomyosarcoma Campaigns to Ban Morcellators

USA Today reports that a campaign to ban morcellators in hysterectomies has been launched by a husband-and-wife physicians — Amy Reed, 41, an anesthesiologist who treated victims of the Boston Bombing, and her husband, Hooman Noorchashm, a cardiothoracic surgeon. Both are affiliated with Harvard Medical School.

Reed was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma after undergoing a hysterectomy. Before the hysterectomy, all tests for cancer were negative. She alleges that she was told morcellators were routinely used to remove fibroids and treat uterine bleeding. Instead, the device spread undiagnosed cancer. Her case made national headlines in March 2013. By that time, she had stage-4 leiomyosarcoma and an 85% risk of death within five years.

Did You Have a Hysterectomy or Fibroid Surgery?

If so, you may have been treated with a power morcellator. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) estimates that 11% of laparoscopic hysterectomies are performed with a morcellator — about 55,000-75,000 procedures annually.

FDA Recommends Against Morcellator Hysterectomies

In April 2014, the FDA published a Drug Safety Communication and recommended against using morcellators in hysterectomies or fibroid surgery. They warned that 1 in 350 women who undergo these procedures actually has undiagnosed uterine sarcoma, a type of cancer that includes leiomyosarcoma.

What is Leiomyosarcoma?

Leiomyosarcoma is a rare but aggressive type of uterine cancer that grows in the inner or middle layers of the uterine wall (endometrial lining or myometrium). No one knows exactly what causes leiomyosarcoma. Unfortunately, because it rarely produces symptoms in its early stages, many women do not receive treatment in its early stages.

Symptoms of Leiomyosarcoma

A lump or swelling
Abdominal discomfort or bloating
Swelling or pain in any area of the body
Bleeding from the vagina in women who have had menopause, or a change in periods for women who have not had menopause

Do I have a Leiomyosarcoma Lawsuit?

Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.