Docetaxel in the treatment of breast cancer in the Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Faculty Hospital Motol
Abstract
Until February 1999, 41 patients were treated with docetaxel in the Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology at the Faculty Hospital Motol in Prague. 38 patients were treated for metastatic and advanced breast cancer. Docetaxel was given as a monotherapy (100 mg/m2) in 11 patients. 27 patients were treated with combinations: docetaxel 75 mg/m2 and doxorubicine, or vinorelbine, or 5-fluorouracil. 20 patients were evaluable for response: 11 patients with stable disease (SD=55%), 4 patients with partial response (PR = 20%), one patient with complete response (CR = 5%), making a total responde rate of 25%, while progression of disease was observed in 4 patients (PD = 20%). 3 patients were treated for microscopic disease.
The average time to progression is 6.9 month, with a range of 3 - 13 months. Leucopenia was the most frequent haematological adverse event - in 46.3% of all cycles, 4 patients suffered from the febrile neutropenia during 8 cycles (5.4% of all cycles).
Other adverse events were not significant. Nausea and vomiting were the most frequent non-haematological adverse events (46.9% of all cycles), we observed neurological complications, mucositis and artralgia or myalgia, and alopecia very often.
Fluid retention and allergic reactions were rare because of adequate premedication with corticosteroids.