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

We report two cases in which weekly paclitaxel (TXL) administration and concurrent radiation was effective for metastatic breast cancer. TXL (80 mg/m2) was infused over 1 hour after short premedication. Case 1: A 50-year-old woman was found to have atelectasis of the middle lobe after treatment for brain metastasis. She was diagnosed with hilar, mediastinal and supraclavicular lymph nodes metastases. She received weekly TXL administration and concurrent radiation to the mediastinum and supraclavicular fossa. The metastatic lymph nodes had disappeared one month after the treatment. Case 2: A 31-year-old woman was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer with lung, pleural, bone and orbital metastases. She received weekly TXL administration and concurrent radiation to the orbit. The lung and pleural metastases had disappeared and the orbital metastasis was decreased by 75% one month after the treatment, and the case was assessed as a partial response. Leukopenia and other major adverse effects were not observed in either of the two cases.