title: Weekly paclitaxel (Taxol) with or without trastuzumab (Herceptin) in advanced breast cancer: a community-based observation study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We evaluated the efficacy and safety of weekly paclitaxel therapy in women with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer in an unselected hospital-based patient population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a specific search tool we were able to find 49 cases in our department-based database MedicoHelp containing more than 36,000 files. All cases were evaluable. The mean number of involved sites was 2.4 (range 1-4) and 38/49 patients had visceral predominant disease. 44 patients received prior antitumor therapies, 33 patients had received prior anthracycline- and/or taxane-containing chemotherapy. Weekly paclitaxel was given at a mean dose of 80 mg/m(2) (day 1, 8, 15, repeated every 28 days), 38 patients with HER2 overexpression had a combination therapy with trastuzumab (Herceptin). Median treatment duration with paclitaxel was 4.4 months (range 0.25-9 months). A dose reduction was necessary in 5 patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Therapy was tolerated well, with a 12% incidence of hematologic grade 3/4 toxicity and 22% cumulative nonhematologic grade 3 toxicity (asthenia: 5 patients, mucosa/skin: 3 patients, neurotoxicity: 3 patients). Other toxicities were rare. The overall response rate was 63%. 22% of the patients achieved disease stabilization. Symptom improvement was seen in 73% of patients. The mean time to progression was 6.0 months (range 0.25-23 months).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Weekly paclitaxel (mostly in combination with trastuzumab) is a well-tolerated regimen and had a surprisingly high efficacy in this observation study in heavily pre-treated patients. Symptom improvement was seen in the majority of patients who responded to the treatment.
authors.affiliation: Departement Innere Medizin, Fachbereich Onkologie/Hämatologie, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, Switzerland. roger.vonmoos@kssg.ch
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: von Moos
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Thürlimann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000068878:Trastuzumab
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000068878:Trastuzumab; D017239:Paclitaxel