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LITTLE ROCK (AFX) - A Benton breast cancer survivor suing the drug maker Wyeth, claiming the company's hormone-replacement drug Prempro caused her illness, told federal jurors Thursday about her chemotherapy treatments and showed them photos of how it changed her appearance.
The photographs of Linda Reeves showed her as a child, an adult and as a cancer victim -- bald but wearing a hat. Reeves says Prempro is responsible for her illness, and that she wouldn't have taken the drug if she had known it might cause cancer.
Reeves acknowledged Thursday that she didn't read an insert with the medicine that listed its risks, but said she trusted her doctor's recommendation that she take it. Reeves will return to the stand Friday morning.
"He was my doctor and I gave him credit to know what I needed," Reeves said.
Reeves, 67, said she took the widely prescribed estrogen-progestin combination for years to prevent osteoperosis, which some women can develop after menopause. The drug also treats premenopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats.
A Women's Health Initiative study found that women who took Prempro had a higher risk of breast cancer, stroke and coronary heart disease.
Reeves said she stopped taking Prempro in 2000, after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Her lawyers say her breast cancer was a type that depended on hormones to grow and that Wyeth knew of the risks but didn't adequately tell doctors or patients. The drug company says it issued warnings about the drug and isn't liable for Reeves' health.
Reeves' is the first of about 4,500 Prempro lawsuits to go to trial.
Zoe Littlepage, one of Reeves' attorneys, displayed a series of photos on a projection screen as the Benton woman testified. Reeves said she had a mastectomy after she was diagnosed with breast cancer and also went through chemotherapy after lymph nodes were removed from an arm.
Reeves showed pictures of her daughter, Lori, cutting her hair because of the hair loss Reeves suffered from the chemotherapy. Reeves said that after a while she shaved her head and decided to wear hats instead of a wig.
Reeves showed a picture of her husband, Ross, who she said shaved his head along with her.
"He didn't have a lot to lose, but it was a good gesture," she said.
Dr. David Caldwell, who prescribed Prempro to Reeves, testified earlier Wednesday and said that he believed the medicine had benefits and said the risk from the treatments "isn't that high."
Caldwell prescribed Reeves Premarin, an estrogen pill manufactured by Wyeth, in 1991, and in 1992 he prescribed her Provera, a progestin-only pill manufactured by Pfizer. Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be
Copyright 2006 AFX News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
