Single-agent paclitaxel at first relapse following adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer

The efficacy and safety of paclitaxel (Taxol; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, NJ) was studied in 27 patients who had relapsed following adjuvant/neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. Paclitaxel 225 mg/m2 given as a 3-hour infusion is an effective regimen in this poor-prognosis population. It is well tolerated and can be given in an outpatient setting without routine use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. It also can be given in repeated cycles without excessive dose reductions or delays. An objective response rate of 54% was obtained. Responses were seen at all disease sites. Future studies must explore a paclitaxel-containing combination regimen to improve response rates further.