Taxotere and long term or latent side effects

jules49

I'm having trouble finding stats on the the prevalence of persistent, permanent or latent side effects from treatment with Taxotere (Docetaxel). Can anyone help? I was told that chemo is standard treatment for pre-menopausal women with positive lymph nodes, but my OnocotypeDX prognosis of chemotherapy benefit based on data from post-menopausal women is only 1% (and that's not significant - the confidence intervals almost completely overlap). I will be doing 5 years of endocrine therapy. It doesn't seem like chemo would be worth it.

Moderators

Hi Firmanich and welcome to Breastcancer.org!

You can find some helpful information on the side effects of Taxotere on the main Breastcancer.org site. Surely, there will be many members piping in here too with their experiences with the drug.

We hope this helps!

--The Mods

208sandy

I am thinking 7 years out that Taxotere probably saved my life BUT my hair mostly didn't grow back and I have permanent neuropathy - I progressed to Stage IV three years ago because I was unable to handle the se's from Arimidex and Femera I think there are other chemo treatments to be had and I'd talk to the MO at length about your tx.

mdg

I had taxotere almost 5 years ago. I feel like cognitively sometimes my brain is different since chemo. I used cold caps to keep my hair through treatment and I am glad I did, because I know 3 people that also did not get hair back. The doctors deny it...but it is a very real side effect. I am also suffering with bone density issues and that was diagnosed in my 40's. I don't know for sure if the chemo did that, but it's odd because I am a fitness professional and I always have been active and healthy.....now I have severe osteopenia.

coraleliz

Jules- it sounds like you are still undecided about chemo. There is a study called the Rxsponder trial. it involves women with positive nodes & the oncotype dx. You didn't mention how many positive nodes or your oncotype result. Here's the link http://www.swog.org/Visitors/S1007/patients.asp

I was not able to participate in the above trial. But that was the only way I would have done chemo. I don't mean to hijack your thread, but you may want to consider this & be part of defining who really benefits from chemo.

I was not yet menopausal at 52 when diagnosed. I had 2 positive nodes & an oncotype of 4. The decision was mine to make. I decided not to do chemo. There have been quite a few threads about this on these boards.

LizA17

My hair did not return after Taxotere. I guess I was one of lucly 6%. It has been hard to deal with. I miss my hair.

jules49

Thank you all so much for your candor, and I'm sorry for the continued challenges that you have had from your treatment. It's great that we have the tools available to us that we do, but the havoc that they sometimes wreak on our bodies sucks. Sandy, wishing you good health in your battle with stage IV. Coraleliz, thanks for the information about the study. I've actually been asked to participate in that study which is part of where this question is coming from for me!