Paclitaxel improves early breast cancer survival
Key points
- For women with early-stage breast cancer, adding paclitaxel to standard chemotherapy can improve their chances of survival, Spanish researchers report.
- Miguel Martin, from Hospital Universitario San Carlos in Madrid, and colleagues assessed the outcomes of 1246 women with breast cancer and lymph node involvement.
- The researchers report their findings in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
- At 5 years, the rate of survival free of disease in the FEC-paclitaxel group was 78.5 percent, significantly higher than the 72.1 percent rate in the FEC-only group.
For women with early-stage breast cancer, adding paclitaxel to standard chemotherapy can improve their chances of survival, Spanish researchers report.
Dr. Miguel Martin, from Hospital Universitario San Carlos in Madrid, and colleagues assessed the outcomes of 1246 women with breast cancer and lymph node involvement. They underwent breast cancer surgery and were then given chemo with fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide (FEC) alone or FEC followed by paclitaxel.
The researchers report their findings in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
At 5 years, the rate of survival free of disease in the FEC-paclitaxel group was 78.5 percent, significantly higher than the 72.1 percent rate in the FEC-only group.
The improved disease-free survival seen with FEC-paclitaxel was mainly due to a reduction in the number of distant breast cancer relapses, Martin's team notes.
Overall survival at 5 years was also higher in the FEC-paclitaxel group than in the FEC-only group (89.9 percent vs. 87.1 percent), but this difference was not significant from a statistical standpoint.
SOURCE: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, May 27, 2008.
Written and revised by
Andrey Nailor, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
health.am provides general information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional about your own health.
Explore health topics
More in this topic
Cancer →
NewsFox Chase Researchers Discover Novel Role of the NEDD9 Gene in Early Stages of Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the United States. Many of these deaths occur when there is an initial diagnosis of invasive or metastatic disease. A protein called NEDD9—which…
15 January 2013
NewsNew findings on optimal duration of trastuzumab therapy for women with HER2+ early breast cancer
New studies that advance understanding of the optimal duration of therapy with the targeted cancer drug trastuzumab were released today at the ESMO 2012 Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology in Vienna.…
2 October 2012
NewsMajority of older, early-stage breast cancer patients benefit from radiation after lumpectomy
For the majority of older, early-stage breast cancer patients, radiation therapy following breast conserving surgery may help prevent the need for a later mastectomy, according to research from The University of Texas…
