Taxane Regimens: Better Response Rate, Similar Survival Rate

October 08, 2002

Chemotherapy regimens containing a taxane (paclitaxel and docetaxel) do a better job overall than non-taxane regimens in terms of reducing tumor size but they don't significantly improve the one-year survival rate for patients with inoperable, advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, a systematic review released today by the Canadian Coordinating Office for Health Technology Assessment has concluded.

Taxanes are anticancer drugs that inhibit cancer cell growth by stopping cell division. Taxanes are relatively new drugs that have only been used since the early 1990s. In most cases, they are used in conjunction with other cancer treatment drugs.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Canada. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for approximately 80% of lung cancers. At the time of diagnosis, 75% of NSCLC patients have advanced disease not amenable to surgery. Therapeutic options include supportive care, chemotherapy and palliative radiation therapy.

CCOHTA's systematic review was based on 19 randomized controlled trials with a total of 7433 patients.

This publication is available online.

For further information contact Kirk Fergusson: 613 226-2553 ext. 276