COMPARISON OF PACLITAXEL AND DOCETAXEL ACTIVITY ON HUMAN OVARIAN-CARCINOMA XENOGRAFTS

The antitumour activity of paclitaxel (NSC 125973) and docetaxel (RP 5 6976, NSC 628503) was evaluated and compared against human ovarian car cinoma (HOC) xenografts in nude mice. Paclitaxel and docetaxel were gi ven intravenously (i.v.) at a dose range of 16.6-34.5 mg/kg, once ever y 4 days for three consecutive doses to nude mice with HOC xenografts, transplanted subcutaneously (s.c.) (HOC18 and HOC22-S) or intraperito neally (i.p.) (HOC8 and HOC22). Paclitaxel and docetaxel, at the highe st dosage, induced complete tumour regression in 80-100% and 67% of mi ce bearing HOC22-S and HOC18 s.c,, respectively, Both drugs cured 100% of mice bearing early stage HOC22 tumour in the peritoneal cavity, wh ile treatment at an advanced stage significantly increased the surviva l time of all the mice. Both induced a 57% cure rate in mice bearing H OC8 in the peritoneal cavity. Paclitaxel and docetaxel were more effec tive than cisplatin (4 mg/kg, same dosing regime as above) used as a r eference compound. These findings indicate that paclitaxel and docetax el were highly active on four HOC xenograft models. No significant dif ference between them was detected in ovarian cancer xenografts.