[Two cases of effective weekly paclitaxel administration for metastatic breast cancer]

We report two cases of effective weekly paclitaxel (TXL) administration for metastatic breast cancer. TXL (80 mg/m2) was infused over 1 hour after short premedication on an outpatient basis. Administration was continued for 3 weeks followed by 1 week rest. Case 1: A 66-year-old woman was treated with adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, doxifluridine (5'-DFUR), fadrozole, medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) and pamidronate for pleural, mediastinal and supraclavicular lymph nodes and skull metastases. She complained of hoarseness and supraclavicular and mediastinal lymph nodes had developed, for which she received weekly TXL administration. Metastatic lymph nodes had disappeared 3 months after administration. Case 2: A 61-year-old woman was treated with CMF therapy, 5'-DFUR, tamoxifen, MPA fadrozole and pamidronate for bone metastasis and local recurrence. She received weekly TXL administration for an axillary recurrence and contralateral supraclavicular lymph node metastases. Metastatic and recurrent lesions had disappeared 3 months after administration. The toxic events were leukopenia (grade 1) and peripheral neuropathy (grade 1). No major adverse effects were observed in either case.