Taxotere increases 5-year breast cancer survival rate in study.

2004 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Taxotere (docetaxel) administered as neo-adjuvant (pre-surgery) chemotherapy has been shown to significantly increase the 5-year survival rates of women with large or locally advanced breast cancer when compared with standard neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, according to the results of a landmark University of Aberdeen study presented at the 26th Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in the United States.

The study also showed that women receiving Taxotere had significantly higher tumor rates, and had significantly higher rates of breast-conserving surgery.

In the randomized group, women receiving four cycles of neo-adjuvant anthracycline-based chemotherapy followed by Taxotere had a 5-year survival of 97% compared with 78% among patients who received four more cycles of anthracycline-based chemotherapy.

In addition, women treated with Taxotere had a disease-free survival of 90% compared with 72% for women treated with four more cycles of anthracycline-based chemotherapy. The study also showed that patients receiving neo-adjuvant Taxotere chemotherapy had a higher complete pathological response (31% vs 15%) than those receiving standard therapy.

This resulted in significantly more breast conserving surgery in women who received Taxotere. Breast conserving surgery was possible in 67% of women who received Taxotere compared with only 48% in patients who received anthracycline-based chemotherapy.

However, it is not known what type of surgery these patients would have had if they had not received neo-adjuvant chemotherapy.

"These results are very promising and suggest that patients may benefit by receiving sequential Taxotere as part of their neo-adjuvant regime. However, these are early results from a small study and await confirmation from larger studies," stated Dr. Andrew Hutcheon, consultant medical oncologist, Grampian University Hospital Trust, Scotland, UK.