[Two cases of recurrent breast cancer successfully treated with paclitaxel weekly therapy]

The patients were a 57-year-old and a 38-year-old woman who had supraclavicular lymph node and multiple lung metastases from breast cancer. They were given 3 and 4 courses of paclitaxel (TXL) weekly therapy (80 mg/m2, day 1, 8, 15, repeated every 4 weeks). One patient had received docetaxel (TXT) and CEF therapy previously. There were no severe adverse effects except leukopenia, neutropenia and alopecia. The weekly TXL therapy brought complete remission against the supraclavicular lymph node and multiple lung metastases. The durations of the response to this weekly therapy were 15 and 5 months, respectively, and their effects have continued to the present. We believe that the weekly TXL therapy is a well-tolerated, feasible and safe administration schedule on an outpatient basis, and improves the patient's quality of life. Furthermore, we suggest the possibility of TXL being effective against both TXT and anthracycline-resistant breast cancer.