The anthracyclines (doxorubicin and epirubicin) and taxanes (paclitaxel and
docetaxel) are among the most active agents for the treatment of advanced
breast cancer. The efficacy and safety of anthracycline-taxane combinations
have been established in this setting. As a consequence, their use in earl
y-stage breast cancer is an area of active investigation. Two general strat
egies have been pursued - combinations of taxane and anthracycline and sequ
ential use of anthracycline followed by taxane or the reverse. This review
summarizes our current knowledge about the adjuvant use of doxorubicin and
paclitaxel or docetaxel for breast cancer, focusing on randomized clinical
trials of the US cooperative groups as examples of the development process.
(C) 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.