Taxotere generated a response rate of up to 67 percent inPhase II trials in women with metastatic breast cancer.

The data were presented Sunday at the Seventh EuropeanConference on Clinical Oncology and Cancer Nursing (ECCO) inJerusalem.

In one study conducted by the National Cancer Institute ofCanada Clinical Trials Group, of 45 evaluable women, fivepatients achieved a complete response and 25 a partialresponse, for an overall response rate of 67 percent.

Researcher Elizabeth Eisenhauer reported that patients initiallyreceived a taxotere dose of 100 mg/m2 I.V. every three weeks,but in the last 16 patients, the dose was reduced to 75 mg/m2.Among 12 evaluable patients receiving the lower dose, onepatient showed a complete response and six showed a partialresponse.

The data support findings previously reported in the Dec. 2,1992, issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Thatstudy, conducted by researchers at the University of Texas M.D.Anderson Cancer Center, found that one of three breast cancerpatients showed improvement with taxotere.

Taxotere is a semisynthetic compound structurally related totaxol. It is obtained from the partial synthesis of taxolmolecules, a process developed by Rhone-Poulenc Rorer.

At the ECCO meeting, Vincente Valero of M.D. Anderson CancerCenter presented preliminary data on 33 patients withanthracycline-resistant metastatic breast cancer whopreviously received one to three chemotherapy regimens.Many of the patients had multiple metastases. Fifteen patientsachieved partial responses with taxotere.

In another trial of 26 patients with anthracycline-resistantbreast cancer, the response rate was 56 percent. Those datawere presented by Peter Ravdin of the University of TexasHealth Science Center in San Antonio.

Investigators noted that because of some hypersensitivityreactions, certain protocols were amended to includepremedications.

Several studies with taxotere were reported earlier this monthat a breast cancer symposium in San Antonio. Pierre Fumoleauof the Centre Rene Gauducheau Nantes-St. Herblain in Francepresented Phase II data of taxotere as a first-linechemotherapy for advanced breast cancer. The study,conducted by the European Organization for Research andTreatment of Cancer Clinical Screening Group, found that five of32 evaluable patients had a complete response and 18 had apartial response.

Data were also presented at the Jerusalem meeting on taxoteretreatment for advanced lung cancer. James Rigas of MemorialSloan Kettering reported that in a Phase II trial of 29 patientswith locally advanced inoperable (stage IIIB) or metastatic(stage IV) non-small cell lung cancer, 38 percent showed amajor objective response. He said the median duration ofresponse was 5.3 months.

In non-small cell lung cancer patients previously treated withcisplatin, researchers at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center foundpartial responses in 11 of 41 patients (27 percent), andresearchers at the University of Texas Health Science Centerfound a 23 percent response rate in a similar group of patients.The main toxicity in the trials was neutropenia, whichresearchers said was reversible, of short duration and well-tolerated.

-- Brenda Sandburg News Editor

(c) 1997 American Health Consultants. All rights reserved.