Older breast cancer patients benefit from weekly Taxol administration as well as younger patients

Monday, May 14, 2001

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., May 14, 2001 –- Weekly Taxol (paclitaxel) is as effective and well tolerated in patients with advanced breast cancer over age 65 as it is in younger patients. That is the conclusion of a study presented May 13 by Dr. Edith Perez during the 37th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). The multi-center, Phase II study, conducted by Perez, is the largest clinical trial to date to study the safety and efficacy of weekly Taxol.

"Most new cases of invasive breast cancer are diagnosed in women over age 60," said Perez, who is director, Cancer Research and Clinical Trials, Division of Hematology/Oncology, at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. "Despite that fact, chemotherapy is often not offered as a treatment option because of perceptions of increased toxicity or diminished benefit. This study shows older breast cancer patients treated with weekly Taxol benefit as much and tolerate treatment just as well as younger patients."

According to the study, weekly Taxol administration resulted in a 20-percent response rate in women over age 65 with metastatic breast cancer, and a 22-percent response rate in those under age 65. The incidence of major toxicities was similar in both groups. In the older group, 14 percent experienced neutropenia, which is reduction of white blood cells, and 13 percent experienced neuropathy, which is nerve pain and numbness in the extremities. In the younger group, 15 percent experienced neutropenia, and 8 percent experienced neuropathy.

Half of the patients over age 65 and 37 percent of those under age 65 achieved disease stabilization. The median duration of response was 245 days in patients over age 65 and 285 days in patients under age 65. Median time to progression of disease was 214 days for older patients and 134 days for younger patients, with a median overall survival of 377 days for older patients and 424 days for younger patients.

More than 192,200 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed and more than 40,200 women will die in 2001, according to the American Cancer Society. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women. Advanced, or metastatic disease, is cancer that has spread beyond the original tumor site. The average survival rate for metastatic disease is two years, and treatment remains a challenge. Therefore the goal of treatment for advanced breast cancer is usually to reduce symptoms of the disease and prolong survival.

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Media contact: Erik Kaldor 904-953-2299 kaldor.erik@mayo.edu

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