Paclitaxel plus nonanthracycline combinations in metastatic breast cancer.

The results of several phase II and some phase III studies are now available in which the combination of paclitaxel (Taxol; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, NJ) and nonanthracycline agents are evaluated. The studies demonstrate the activity and feasibility of these combinations, which achieved response rates of 40% to 80% and median time to progression that exceeded 6 months. The potential role of these combinations compared with older non-paclitaxel-containing regimens, in improving quality of life, response rate, and survival in patients with metastatic breast cancer, however, await the results of prospective, randomized phase III trials. The next logical step, depending on the results of planned comparative trials, is to incorporate these combinations in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings.