A trial looking at Taxoprexin (DHA-paclitaxel) for advanced breast cancer

Cancer type:

Breast cancer

Status:

Results

Phase:

Phase 2

This trial was looking at a drug called Taxoprexin for breast cancer that has spread to another part of the body (secondary breast cancer).

Doctors often use chemotherapy to treat breast cancer that has spread. In this trial, they were looking at a new drug called Taxoprexin. It is made up of a taxane Open a glossary item chemotherapy drug called paclitaxel, and a natural fatty acid called DHA. Cancer cells collect fatty acids, including DHA. So the researchers hoped that this would help more of the paclitaxel to get into the cancer cells and kill them.

The aims of the trial were to find out

How well Taxoprexin worked for secondary breast cancer
What the side effects were

Summary of results

The researchers presented the results of the trial at a large cancer conference in 2003. They found that Taxoprexin worked about as well as other taxane drugs.

The trial recruited 38 women with advanced breast cancer
In 7 of the women, the cancer got smaller – researchers call this a partial response
In 13 women, the cancer stayed the same size – researchers call this stable disease
In 17 women, the cancer continued to grow
They did not have results for one person

The main side effect was a drop in the number of blood cells, causing an increased risk of infection and bruising or bleeding problems.

We have based this summary on information from the team who ran the trial. The information they sent us has been reviewed by independent specialists (peer reviewed Open a glossary item ) but may not have been published in a medical journal. The figures we quote above were provided by the trial team. We have not analysed the data ourselves.