title: Paclitaxel administered weekly in patients with docetaxel-resistant metastatic breast cancer: a single-center study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated retrospectively the efficacy and toxicity of paclitaxel in patients with docetaxel-resistant metastatic breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Paclitaxel (80 mg/m2) was administered weekly to 44 patients who had previously received chemotherapy regimens for metastatic breast cancer. All patients had progressive disease in spite of having received docetaxel therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment was repeated until there was evidence of disease progression. Objective responses were obtained in 14 of 44 assessable patients (31.8%; 95% confidence interval, 17.5-46.1). Fourteen patients had partial responses; none responded completely. Seven of 14 responders had primary resistance to docetaxel therapy. The median duration of response was 6.1 months (range, 2.1-12.7). The median time to progression was 5.0 months. Clinically severe adverse events (grade 3 or 4) included neutropenia (27.2%), leukopenia (25.0%), neuropathy-sensory (13.6%), febrile neutropenia (6.8%), anemia (2.2%), constipation (2.2%), and edema (2.2%). Treatment was generally well tolerated and could be continued on an out-patient basis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Weekly paclitaxel is effective in patients with docetaxel-resistant metastatic breast cancer. This observation suggests partial cross-resistance between paclitaxel and docetaxel. There was no evidence for additive cumulative toxic effects of the two taxanes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Institute Hospital and Cancer Chemotherapy Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan. sawapi@qc4.so-net.ne.jp
authors.forename: Masataka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sawaki
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Daigo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mizunuma
authors.forename: Shunji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Horikoshi
authors.forename: Keiichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tada
authors.forename: Fujio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kasumi
authors.forename: Futoshi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Akiyama
authors.forename: Goi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Tsuneo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Akimasa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakao
authors.forename: Kiyohiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hatake
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D043823:Taxoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel; D017239:Paclitaxel