How can be it be administrated? Taxotere is used in specialized centers of chemotherapy (witch are using drugs to treat cancer), under the medical supervision which is qualified in the administration of chemotherapy; Taxotere is administrated in the infusion for one hour every three weeks. The dose, the treatment duration and the drugs, they all depend on the type of cancer which is being treated.



Taxotere is used only when the number of neutrophils (a type of white cells of the blood) is at least 1.500 cells/mm3.

Dexamethasone (an anti –inflammatory drug) should be administered to the patient with a day before the treatment in case of prostate cancer and a day or two days after treatment in case of others types of cancer.



Taxotere – mechanism of action. The active substance of Taxotere, docetaxel, belongs to a group of medicines used to cancer, known as taxanes. Docetaxel blocks the ability of cells to destroy the intern “skeleton” that allows their division and multiplication. If the skeleton is not destroyed, the cells can not divide and they eventually will die. Docetaxel affects also the non cancerous cells, such as blood cells, which can lead to side effects.

Taxotere was studied on a total of about 3000 patients with breast cancer, 1900 patients with cell lung cancer, on about 1000 patients with prostate cancer, 445 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma and 897 patents with cancer located in the head area and neck. In most of these studies, Taxotere was used in combination with other treatments against cancer and then it was compared with different treatments or different combinations of the same treatment but without Taxotere. The main measures of efficacy were the number of patients who responded to treatment, the survival time of the patients without the disease worsening and the survival duration in general.

In all five types of cancer, the addition of Taxotere to other cancer treatments increased the number of patients who responded to treatment, the survival time of the patients without the disease to go worse, and the survival duration in general. Used to treat breast cancer, Taxotere was at least effective and sometimes even more effective than other drugs with which it was compared.



What are the risks associated with Taxotere ?

The most common side effects associated with Taxotere (seen in more than 1 patient out of 10) are:
-neutrophilia (low number of neutrophils) and fever neutrophilia
- anemia (low number of red blood cells)
- thrombocytopenia (low number of platelets)
- peripheral sensory neuropathy (the damage of the nerves in hands and feet)
- peripheral motor neuropathy (nerves damage  causing difficulty in coordinating movements)
- dysgeusia (altered taste)
- dyspnea (breathing difficulty)
- stomatitis (inflammation of mucous membrane of the mouth)
- diarrhea
- nausea (feeling sick)
- vomiting
- alopecia (hair loss)
- skin reactions, nail impairment
- myalgia (muscle pain)
- lack of appetite
- infections
- fluid retention
- asthenia (weakness)
- pain
- hypersensitivity (allergic reactions).

These side effects may be more severe when Taxotere is used in combination with others medicines to treat cancer. For a full list of all side effects associated with Taxotere, see the prospectus.