Factors that determine docetaxel's efficacy?

Question from LisaK: I've been reading that docetaxel is not effective in most women with estrogen-receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. Can you please discuss the factors that determine docetaxel's efficacy with this type of cancer? Are there any tests to determine the drug's effect on a patient's cancer?
Answers - Eric Winer, M.D. This is a very large question, and the potential answer is long and complicated. That said, docetaxel (brand name: Taxotere) is probably no different from Taxol and may not be different from chemotherapy in general. In women with breast cancer that is estrogen-receptor-positive, as a general rule, chemotherapy is less effective in preventing a recurrence than in women who have estrogen-receptor-negative breast cancer. However, there are women who clearly benefit from chemotherapy including drugs like docetaxel, and the risks and benefits of therapy should be discussed between a woman and her doctor. As doctors we look at a range of factors to decide what treatments may be most effective in minimizing a woman's chance of having recurrent breast cancer. In patients with metastatic estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer the situation is somewhat different, and it is less clear that there is a difference in the benefits associated with chemotherapy compared to women with estrogen-receptor-negative breast cancer.



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