Taxanes as a first-line systemic treatment in metastatic breast cancer

First-line treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is an important therapeutic setting. Effective treatment of MBC in the initial setting can extend a patient's life and provide significant improvements in quality of life. The taxanes paclitaxel, docetaxel, and nab-paclitaxel have been investigated as first-line therapy for MBC requiring chemotherapy in numerous trials. Results from these trials have demonstrated that taxanes are effective treatments in MBC but also have highlighted differences in their toxicity profiles. Those differences must be taken into consideration when deciding the appropriate treatment for each patient. This article explores the differences among the agents in efficacy and safety in the first-line setting for treating MBC. In addition, administration concerns unique to each taxane are discussed.