Docetaxel after Paclitaxel in first round - 1255116

apra
Posts:142

How effective is Docetaxel after more than a year of having three rounds of Paclitaxel in the first round. How do these two drugs differ from each other?

I have read about weekly infusions of Docetaxel instead of one every 21 days. Are there studies to prove equal effectiveness of weekly infusions to 21 days cycle infusions? Have any of our doctors used this style n their practices?

Thank you for listening.

Apra

Forums

Dr West
Posts: 4735

There isn't much evidence to speak to the question of Taxotere (docetaxel) after Taxol (paclitaxel). They're related drugs, but the limited evidence we have has showed that the response rates to Taxotere are no lower in patients who have received prior Taxol than in those who didn't.

Weekly Taxotere has been studied as a possible easier regimen that might be as effective or more effective than every three week Taxotere. Most studies have shown a similar or modestly worse efficacy of the weekly regimen, without it being clearly less toxic, so it's not really a favored regimen right now. It's not an approach that I have used in almost any patient that I can recall over the past 3-5 years, at least.

-Dr. West