New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Adjuvant Taxane Schedules Equally Effective
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Adjuvant Taxane Schedules Equally Effective

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
123Donna View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: Aug 24 2009
Location: St. Louis, MO
Status: Offline
Points: 13509
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 123Donna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Adjuvant Taxane Schedules Equally Effective
    Posted: Aug 05 2013 at 11:34am
Lower doses of taxol works just as effectively and is less toxic without sacrifing survival.

Head-to-Head Matchup Shows Adjuvant Taxane Schedules Equally Effective 

In the treatment of early breast cancer, outcomes are equivalent whether paclitaxel is delivered weekly or every 2 weeks, though the weekly schedule may be better tolerated, according to the results of a phase III trial presented at the 2013 ASCO Annual Meeting.1

“The progression-free survival curves lie right on top of each other. With either schedule you get equivalent outcomes, but weekly paclitaxel is less toxic for most patients,” said G. Thomas Budd, MD, a staff physician at the Cleveland Clinic’s Taussig Cancer Institute. “The findings provide reassurance that women can choose the lower-dose weekly therapy without sacrificing their chance of survival.”

In the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) S0221 trial—the first to directly compare the two common taxane regimens—patients with node-positive or high-risk node-negative operable breast cancer were initially randomly assigned in a 2×2 factorial design to one of two different regimens of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide. All patients were also randomized to one of two different regimens of paclitaxel.

In the taxane comparison, patients received paclitaxel at 80 mg/m2 weekly for 12 cycles or 175 mg/m2every 2 weeks plus pegfilgrastim (Neulasta) for six cycles. The latter group received six cycles, not four, to achieve the same overall duration of treatment as the weekly patients, he explained.

The doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide randomization was halted for futility, and the results were presented at ASCO 2011.2 The study closed in January 2012, having accrued 3,294 patients, and at the third interim analysis, the futility boundary was crossed for the paclitaxel comparison.

Outcomes Similar

At a median follow-up of 4.4 years, the estimated 5-year disease-free survival rates for weekly and every-2-week paclitaxel were equivalent—82% and 81%, respectively. There was similarly no difference in overall survival; median survival has not been reached.

“Our comparison did not show that weekly paclitaxel had superior efficacy.” Dr. Budd announced. “Since this was not conducted as a noninferiority study, we cannot make a statistical conclusion about the lack of difference. However, the Kaplan-Meier curves and the computed hazard ratio (HR = 1.05) suggest little difference in efficacy.”

In a subset analysis, patients with HER2-positive tumors tended to derive somewhat more benefit with every-2-week paclitaxel, but the hazard ratio of 1.40 was within the 95% confidence interval, he noted. “The major difference was seen in HER2-positive patients treated without trastuzumab [Herceptin] (HR = 1.71), but given the small number of patients in this subset and the lack of a biological explanation, it’s unclear whether this observation is of any significance,” he added.

Toxicity Profiles Different

There were, however, differences in toxicities between the arms. About one-third of each arm experienced some type of grade 3 or 4 toxicity. While overall and dermatologic toxicities did not differ, there was more hematologic toxicity with weekly paclitaxel, especially leukopenia (6% vs 1%, P < .001) and neutropenia (11% vs 2%, P < .001). However, patients in this arm had complete blood counts performed more often and did not receive hematopoietic growth factors routinely, he pointed out.

“Importantly, this did not result in more infectious complications, which were uncommon in both,” he noted.

In contrast, with every-2-week paclitaxel there was a higher incidence of allergic reactions (1.4% vs 0.6%, P = .035), musculoskeletal pain (11% vs 3%; P < .001), and peripheral neuropathy (17% vs 10%, P = .001). At a press briefing, Dr. Budd did acknowledge that the incidence of neuropathy is a bit lower when the every-2-week schedule is given for four cycles rather than for six, as was done in this study.

“These findings tell me that we have a choice. Either schedule can be recommended based on efficacy. We can discuss the side effects with patients and individualize treatment,” Dr. Budd concluded. “I do believe there will be a move to more weekly paclitaxel, since hematopoietic growth factors are not required.” 

http://www.ascopost.com/issues/july-25,-2013/head-to-head-matchup-shows-adjuvant-taxane-schedules-equally-effective.aspx

DX IDC TNBC 6/09 age 49, Stage 1,Grade 3, 1.5cm,0/5Nodes,KI-67 48%,BRCA-,6/09bi-mx, recon, T/C X4(9/09)
11/10 Recur IM node, Gem,Carb,Iniparib 12/10,MRI NED 2/11,IMRT Radsx40,CT NED11/13,MRI NED3/15

Back to Top
cheeks View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: Jan 14 2011
Location: North Carolina
Status: Offline
Points: 676
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cheeks Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 05 2013 at 1:33pm
Thanks Donna,

Nice to read this since I had Taxol weekly. I didn't ever have a Neulasta shot, lose any hair or have any nausea.

Blair
Lump found 11/08
DX: 2/09 @52 TNBC
L. Mast. 3/26/09, SN-, BRCA-,
4.5 cm (post surgical)T2NOMO
Chemo: 4/09-10/09 Taxol x 12,
A/C x 4, No rad.No recon. NED 1/17. New Primary right breast TN, 2/2018.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.01
Copyright ©2001-2018 Web Wiz Ltd.