title: Docetaxel in combination with doxorubicin or vinorelbine.
abstract: The rationale for the development of a new drug combination is to combine optimal doses of drugs with single-agent activity that are not cross-resistant or have similar toxicities. Docetaxel, with its unique mechanism of action and its high response rates in metastatic breast cancer, provides both opportunities and challenges for the development of combination chemotherapy. Anthracyclines are widely accepted as the agents of choice for first-line treatment of metastatic breast cancer and they have been studied in combination with taxoids. Preliminary results with a combination of docetaxel and doxorubicin indicate an overall response rate of 74%, with the dose-limiting toxicities being neutropenia and infection. Vinorelbine also has single-agent activity against metastatic breast cancer and preclinical studies have demonstrated synergism when vinorelbine and docetaxel are combined. The dose-limiting toxicities of the vinorelbine-docetaxel combination are febrile neutropenia and mucositis. The overall response rate to treatment with this combination is 67%. We therefore conclude that docetaxel can be combined with doxorubicin or vinorelbine to provide high response rates and acceptable toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Curie Institute, Paris, France.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Diéras
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fumoleau
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kalla
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Misset
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Azli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pouillart
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D043823:Taxoids; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D000077235:Vinorelbine
chemical_list: D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel; D014747:Vinblastine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D017239:Paclitaxel; D000077235:Vinorelbine