Phase II trial of docetaxel in patients with advanced or metastatic transitional-cell carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
A phase II trial of docetaxel was conducted to assess its efficacy and toxicity in patients with advanced transitional-cell carcinoma (TCC) who had failed to respond to prior cisplatin-based therapy.


METHODS
Thirty assessable patients who had failed to respond to or relapsed after one prior cisplatin-containing regimen were treated with docetaxel 100 mg/m2 over 1 hour, every 21 days. All patients were premedicated with dexamethasone and diphenhydramine to reduce allergic reactions. Reductions of subsequent doses were made for severe hematologic toxicity. Prophylactic hematopoietic growth factors were not used.


RESULTS
Four of 30 patients (13.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.8% to 30.7%) demonstrated a partial response (PR), with durations of response ranging from 3 to 8 months. The estimated median survival duration for all patients is 9 months (95% CI, 6 to 12 months) with a median follow-up time of 14 months (range, 1 to 27). Hematologic toxicity included anemia, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, and febrile neutropenia. Nonhematologic toxicity included alopecia and mucositis. Fluid retention was not observed and cutaneous toxicity was mild and infrequent. Dose reductions were necessary for adverse events in 18 patients (60%).


CONCLUSIONS
Docetaxel is an active single agent in previously treated patients with TCC of the urothelial tract. Therapy was well tolerated in this patient population but myelosuppression was frequent. Further study in previously untreated patients, both alone and in combination, is warranted.
McCaffrey
J A
JA
Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021, USA.
Hilton
S
S
Mazumdar
M
M
Sadan
S
S
Kelly
W K
WK
Scher
H I
HI
Bajorin
D F
DF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012074:Remission Induction; D016019:Survival Analysis; D043823:Taxoids; D014571:Urologic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel; D017239:Paclitaxel