title: Phase II studies of docetaxel in the treatment of various solid tumours. EORTC Early Clinical Trials Group and the EORTC Soft Tissue and Bone Sarcoma Group.
abstract: Docetaxel has been evaluated in six tumour types in a total of 189 patients entered into phase II studies. Treatment consisted of a 1 h intravenous infusion of docetaxel 100 mg/m2 repeated every 3 weeks. No premedication was administered for possible hypersensitivity reactions. Docetaxel was found to be effective as first-line chemotherapy for head and neck cancer (response rate 44%) gastric cancer (23%) and melanoma (14%) and as second-line chemotherapy for soft tissue sarcomas (21%; 95% confidence interval: 7.5%-43.7%). The results in colorectal and renal cancer were disappointing, with response rates of less than 10%. The most frequent adverse effects were alopecia (81%), grade III-IV leukocytopenia of short duration (66%) and skin reactions (52%). Hypersensitivity reactions were mild and occurred in 26% of patients. Docetaxel is an important new drug in the treatment of solid tumours.
authors.affiliation: Rotterdam Cancer Institute, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Verweij
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Catimel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sulkes
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sternberg
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aamdal
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: van Hoesel
mesh_terms: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077143:Docetaxel; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D043823:Taxoids
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel; D017239:Paclitaxel