Taxol - weekly or DD?

belleb · February 2014

I'm halfway through my A/C (phew!) and coming up on the Taxol portion of treatment. At our first meeting my MO said there are two options - weekly for 12 weeks or dose dense every 2 weeks for 4 doses (so, 8 weeks). How do you decide which to do?

RHGSR · February 2014

Hi belleb!! I just met with my MO and he has my Taxol scheduled for every two weeks for 4 cycles. I'm curious too about whether or not this is the best way to go. He told me that the 12 weeks is for older adults who wouldn't tolerate a higher dosage as the dosage is less and since I did well with DD AC we could do the Taxol Dose Dense too. Below is what I posted on the chemo dec 2013 forum. Let me know what you decide or if you find out anymore info.

Holli

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just saw MO. He suggests Taxol every 2 weeks for 4 cycles rather than weekly. You get the same total dosage of Taxol. Supposed to help reduce incidence of neuropathy. All I have ever seen is it done weekly. Anyone have any thoughts on this ??

Last red devil on Thursday. So glad to be getting that behind me.

Anyone staying on Claritin to help with aches and pains associated with the Taxol?

Holeinone · February 2014

belleb, 1/2 way thru the "red devil".....hate to say this but I thought it was legal torture.

My MO never discussed options until I had had 3 dose dense Taxol tx. I was having bone pain so she offered to spilt the last infusion into thirds. I chose to do it all at once, I was so ready to be done. I read somewhere in the beginning, and my BS told me that dose dense gave you another 2% survival. I think he was talking about A/C, also what I read, I think was speaking of A/C. Ask your MO if he thinks there is a benefit in survival. Also, for me, Taxol was easier...

Kicks · February 2014

I did 4 DD A/C neoadjuvant and then after surgery we talked about the adjuvant chemo. I was given 3 or 4 options but the only 1 I remember is the 12 weekly Taxol which is what I chose. It was the option that my Dr said he'd recommend and the one the Board had recommended . Basically, it was supposed to be the most aggressive so being IBC, I wanted the most aggressive TX. Must have been the 'right' choice - I'm 4 1/2 yrs NED.
(A/C was easy for me - Taxol wasn't! It seems often for those that A/C isn't horrible, Taxol is and for those that A/C is nasty, Taxol isn't.)

robsp · February 2014

There are some clinical trials saying that weekly taxol has the same efficacy of bi-weekly.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/805220

NCCN guideline mention both options as preferred regimens

http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/f_...

I´m doing weekly taxol, 6 infusions until now , and very few side effects, although my case is male breast cancer and my chemo was inverted, first taxol then FAC, similar to AC.

In my case was offered docetaxel (3 weeks interval) and weekly taxol. In my point of view I prefer a regimen with less side effects.

RHGSR · February 2014

thanks robsp for the info!!

katiegrey · February 2014

belleb - I'm in the same position. My last AC is next Thursday and I think I'm going to opt for dose dense Taxol to get this all over with a little faster

belleb · February 2014

Thank you for all the input! This is going to be at the top of my list for discussion at my next appt. The idea of getting it over a month sooner is really appealing, but then less SEs with the weekly and no Neulasta shot is appealing too. Hmm....

sheila888 · February 2014

belle...I wasn't given a choice

Had 4 DD Taxol and it was so much easier to handle comparing with AC

Good Luck

♥

Taxol - weekly or DD?

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