title: Weekly paclitaxel--an effective treatment for advanced breast cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Weekly paclitaxel is widely used in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Our aim was to test its efficacy and tolerability as a second-line therapy for MBC in daily oncology practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Paclitaxel (90 mg/m(2)) was given intravenously three times weekly in a 4-week cycle to 91 patients with disease progression after hormonal (42%) or cytostatic therapy (57%). The median age was 54 years; metastatic sites were the lung (39%), liver (52%) and bone (47%). 64% of patients had more than one site of metastasis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median time-to-progression was 7.5 months (range=6.5-8.5 months) and median overall survival time was 20.1 months (range=13.7-26.5 months). We observed 10 complete (12%) and 37 partial (43%) responses (an overall response rate of 55%). Severe side-effects were rare (grade 3-4 neutropenia 13% and septic episodes in three cases).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Weekly paclitaxel was shown to be an effective and well-tolerated treatment for advanced breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland. klpike@uta.fi
authors.forename: Pirkko
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kellokumpu-Lehtinen
authors.forename: Tuija
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tuunanen
authors.forename: Raija
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Asola
authors.forename: Liisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Elomaa
authors.forename: Mirja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heikkinen
authors.forename: Riitta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kokko
authors.forename: Ritva
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Järvenpää
authors.forename: Ilari
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lehtinen
authors.forename: Abdel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maiche
authors.forename: Jaana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaleva-Kerola
authors.forename: Mauri
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huusko
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Möykkynen
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ala-Luhtala
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D018450:Disease Progression; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008875:Middle Aged; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D017239:Paclitaxel
keywords: Breast cancer; docetaxel; metastasis; paclitaxel; survival; time-to-progression