Weekly paclitaxel in the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer.| Authors: | Joseph A Sparano, Molin Wang, Silvana Martino, Vicky Jones, Edith A Perez, Tom Saphner, Antonio C Wolff, George W Sledge, William C Wood, Nancy E Davidson | | Language: | Eng. | | Date: | 18-04-2008 | | Journal: | The New England journal of medicine
(1533-4406)
| | Release: | N Engl J Med. 2008 Apr;358(16):1663-71 | |
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Abstract:
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BACKGROUND:
We compared the efficacy of two different taxanes, docetaxel and paclitaxel, given either weekly or every 3 weeks, in the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer.
METHODS:
We enrolled 4950 women with axillary lymph node-positive or high-risk, lymph node-negative breast cancer. After randomization, all patients first received 4 cycles of intravenous doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide at 3-week intervals and were then assigned to intravenous paclitaxel or docetaxel given at 3-week intervals for 4 cycles or at 1-week intervals for 12 cycles. The primary end point was disease-free survival.
RESULTS:
As compared with patients receiving standard therapy (paclitaxel every 3 weeks), the odds ratio for disease-free survival was 1.27 among those receiving weekly paclitaxel (P=0.006), 1.23 among those receiving docetaxel every 3 weeks (P=0.02), and 1.09 among those receiving weekly docetaxel (P=0.29) (with an odds ratio >1 favoring the groups receiving experimental therapy). As compared with standard therapy, weekly paclitaxel was also associated with improved survival (odds ratio, 1.32; P=0.01). An exploratory analysis of a subgroup of patients whose tumors expressed no human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 protein found similar improvements in disease-free and overall survival with weekly paclitaxel treatment, regardless of hormone-receptor expression. Grade 2, 3, or 4 neuropathy was more frequent with weekly paclitaxel than with paclitaxel every 3 weeks (27% vs. 20%).
CONCLUSIONS:
Weekly paclitaxel after standard adjuvant chemotherapy with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide improves disease-free and overall survival in women with breast cancer. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00004125 [ClinicalTrials.gov].).
| | Copyright: | The New England journal of medicine
Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, Philadelphia, USA. jsparano@montefiore.org | | Full text: |  EBSCO - HTML (needs subscription) | | Terms: | Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic, Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols, Breast Neoplasms, Chemotherapy, Adjuvant, Disease-Free Survival, Drug Administration Schedule, Female, Humans, Infusions, Intravenous, Kaplan-Meiers Estimate, Middle Aged, Paclitaxel, Receptors, Steroid, Taxoids | | |
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