Toxicities, dose reduction and delay of docetaxel and paclitaxel chemotherapy in breast cancer without distant metastases

Background: Docetaxel and paclitaxel are likely to have different toxicity profiles, dose reduction and delays despite their similar medical results in breast cancer patients. Aims: This study examined retrospectively the incidence and severity of certain toxicities, dose reduction and delay of two taxanes. Materials and Methods: From January 2009 to June 2010, the incidence and severity of toxicities as well as the dose reduction, dose delay, granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) in 54 patients with operable lymph node-positive (tumor stage T1, T2, or T3 and nodal stage N1 or N2) and high risk, node-negative (T2 or T3, N0) breast cancer without a distant metastases who received adjuvant chemotherapy - adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, docetaxel (TAC) and adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, paclitaxel (ACP)- were evaluated. Statistical Analysis Used: Mann-Whitney test and Fisher′s exact test. Results and Conclusion: The patients in the ACP group experienced more frequent peripheral neuropathy (P=0.025), nausea (P=0.033) than those in the TAC group. Febrile neutropenia was significant in TAC (P=0.001). Increasing age was associated with an increased risk of anemia (P=0.004), fatigue (P=0.009) and pain (P=0.003), and a decreasing body mass index was associated with an increased risk of febrile neutropenia (P=0.009). Dose reduction and delay occurred due to febrile neutropenia and an increase in aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT). The dose reduction was only significant in the TAC group (P= 0.001). A taxane-based regimen should be chosen for breast cancer patients based on the pharmacokinetics, dosing schedule, clinical activity and toxicity profile that best meet the patient′s therapeutic needs and quality of life.