DOCETAXEL (TAXOTERE(TM)), A NOVEL TAXOID, IN THE TREATMENT OF ADVANCED COLORECTAL-CARCINOMA - AN EORTC EARLY CLINICAL-TRIALS GROUP-STUDY

Docetaxel (Taxotere), a new semisynthetic taxoid, is a potentially imp ortant chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of cancer. Forty patie nts with bidimensionally measurable advanced adenocarcinoma of the col on were treated with docetaxel 100 mg m(-2) every 3 weeks as a Ih infu sion without routine premedication. Thirty-nine patients were eligible : 23 males and 16 females. Median age was 60 years (range 41-75) and W HO performance status 1 (0-2). Prior adjuvant chemotherapy was perform ed in four patients and prior radiotherapy in nine patients. Bidimensi onally measurable disease sites included: liver in 26 patients, lymph nodes and abdominal/peritoneal masses in 13, lung/mediastinal masses i n ten and subcutaneous nodes in four. The median number of cycles give n was 2 (range 1-15). Thirty-three patients were evaluable for respons e. One patient (3%) achieved a complete response and two (6%) (95% con fidence limits 0-14%) a partial response. Side-effects were similar to those observed in other studies. Docetaxel, given at this dosage and schedule, has minimal activity in the treatment of colorectal carcinom a.