Docetaxel (taxotere) extravasation: a report of five cases with treatment recommendations

Docetaxel (Taxotere) is a relatively new antineoplastic agent that is proving to be clinically useful in the treatment of a number of major solid tumors, including breast, ovarian, lung, and prostate carcinoma. Common systemic toxicities include neutropenia, alopecia, nausea, and vomiting. The authors report 5 patients (age range, 54-89 years) who experienced extravasation injuries with dramatic clinical presentations during peripheral intravenous administration of docetaxel. The authors did not find any other reported series of docetaxel extravasation in an extensive literature review. They present these 5 patients and provide treatment recommendations.