Taxane based chemo improves disease-free survival in high risk early breast cancer

Early data from the Breast Cancer International Research Group suggests again that taxane based chemo has an 'up-front' role in the adjuvant therapy high risk early breast cancer. In a phase three trial reported at this year's Am. Soc. Clin. Oncol. Meeting (abstract 141) taxotere or doxorubicin was added to two standard drugs (viz. cyclophosphamide and fluorouracil) in the adjuvant setting. With a median of 33 months of follow-up, the taxotere group experienced a 33% reduction in relapse rate compared to doxrubicin treated pateints - a significant difference in this trial and at this early time point. Whilst ther remains debate as to whether taxanes should be in standard first line regimes, this trial supports this body of opinion.