Docetaxel Research Paper
What is it?
Docetaxel is a FDA approved chemotherapy drug. It can treat breast, lung, prostate, stomach, and head and neck cancer. Its trade name is Taxotere. It needs to be prescribed by a doctor.. Docetaxel is used in treating cancer; it attacks the cancer cells. It does so by stopping the cancer cell from growing into two new cells. It basically stops the growth of cancer. It belongs to a class of chemotherapy drugs referred to as plant alkaloids. The alkaloid is one of the taxane type drugs that originally developed from the yew tree. It is known as antimicrotuble agents. This agent takes the microtubule structure within the cell and causes the cell to die.
Drug Description
Docetaxel is an antineoplastic agent that belongs to the taxoid …show more content…
family. It’s chemical name is (2R, 3S)-N-carboxy-3-phenylisoserine, N-tert-butyl ester, 13-ester with 5β-20epoxy-1, 2α, 4,7β, 10β, 13α-hexahydroxytax-11-en-9-one 4-acetate 2-benzoate, trihydrate. It’s a white powder and basically insoluble in water. Its molecular weight is 861.9 and its empirical formula is C43H53NO14• 3H2O. The docetaxel injection is a pale yellow to brownish-yellow solution at twenty mg/mL concentrations.
What the drug is used for
Docetaxel is a chemotherapy drug. It can be used alone or with other drugs to treat breast cancer, adenocarcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer, head and neck cancer, and prostate cancer. It treats breast cancer that has spread through other parts of the body and has not gotten better with other chemotherapy. It treats breast cancer that has spread lymph nodes and can be removed by surgery. It treats the patients who have not been treated with chemotherapy for advanced diseases. It treats prostate cancer that has spread in men whose cancer is hormone-resistant. It also treats head and neck cancer that has spread and cannot be removed with surgery. At the moment, it is being studied to treat other kinds of cancer. Examples include small cell lung, ovarian, bladder, and pancreatic cancers.
How it’s used
Docetaxel can be injected into the veins. It does not come as a pill. It is usually given over an hour once every three weeks, depending on the type of cancer. The amount of docetaxel you will receive may depend on things such as height, weight, health, health problems, and the type of cancer or condition being treated. It may be given through a thin, short tube put into a vein in your arm each time you have treatment or a through long, plastic tubes that gives the drugs directly into a large vein in your chest. Doctors may prescribe a steroid medication to help prevent or reduce certain side effects. The steroid medication will usually be used for 3 days, starting the day before each treatment.
How it works
Cancer cells do not have a balance and will divide uncontrollably. So, the drugs will try to damage the RNA or DNA. The RNA and DNA tell the cell how to copy itself in division. When the cells cannot divide, they die. Chemotherapy will kill the cells and cause the tumor to shrink. It may also causes the cells to kill itself. Chemotherapy is scheduled based on the type of cells and the rate they are dividing at. This is the reason chemotherapy is usually given in cycles. It is really effective at killing the cells that are dividing at a fast rate. However, chemotherapy doesn’t know what are the cancer cells and what are the normal cells.
Those normal cells will grow back healthily but side effects, such as low blood cell counts, may occur. Docetaxel takes the microtubule structures within the cell. This causes the death of the cell.
Side Effects
There are side effects that are almost always reversible and will go away after the treatment is finished. The steroid medications prescribed will help to minimize or prevent the side effects. The side effects depend on how much of the drug is given. Some common side effects are low white and red blood cell count. Therefore, the patient would have regular blood tests to check the blood cell level. The low white blood cell count could cause a high risk of getting an infection. The low red blood cell count can cause tiredness and breathlessness. It could cause you to need a blood transfusion. You may also bruise more easily due to the drop in platelets. Hair loss is also very common, it affects about eight out of ten people who get treated.
Other side effects may include:
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Muscle, Bone, or Joint pain
• Nosebleeds
• Blurry Vision
• Allergic Reactions such as rash, flushing, fever, and lowered blood pressure.
• Nail changes
When to contact your doctor
The symptoms that are going to be listed will need medical attention but are not an emergency and you should contact your doctor within 24 hours:
• A fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher because this may be a possible sign of infection.
• Nausea because it may interfere with the ability to eat.
• Vomiting more than four to five times in a twenty-four hour period.
• Diarrhea that lasts four to six episodes in a twenty-four hour period.
• Blood in your stools or urine.
• Extreme fatigue.
• Mouth sores.
• Yellowing of the skin or eyes.
Precautions
• Before the treatment, tell your doctor about any other medications you are taking or if you are allergic to docetaxel injection or any other medications.
• You should not become/be pregnant while using docetaxel because it may harm the fetus. Talk to your doctor about birth control methods to use during the treatment and if you do become pregnant during so, call your doctor.
• You should not breast-feed while using the docetaxel.
• Do not take aspirin or products containing aspirin and do not take any kind of immunization or vaccination without the doctor’s approval.
• If you are to have surgery, inform the doctor that you are using docetaxel injection.
• Docetaxel may make you drowsy and affect your judgment so do not drive a car or do other dangerous actions along those lines for one to two hours after you have taken the medication.
Warnings
• If you have or ever had liver disease you may be at a high risk of developing serious side effects.
• The docetaxel injection may cause low blood cell counts.
• It may cause severe allergic reactions. If you experience hives, itching, chest tightness, fainting, dizziness, nausea, or difficulty breathing/swallowing then call your doctor immediately.
• Docetaxel may cause serious or life-threatening fluid retention. If you experience swelling of the hands, feet, ankles, weight gain, and so on, then call your doctor immediately.
• If you are to forget a dose, call your doctor immediately.
• If you overdose, symptoms may include sore throat, fever, chills, sores in the mouth and throat, skin irritation, weakness, and numbness, tingling, or burning sensation in the hands or feet.
Your doctor should be able to keep check on your body’s health and condition while using the docetaxel injection.
Self-care tips
• Since you are at risk of infection you may want to try to avoid crowds or people who may have slight illnesses as well.
• You should wash you hands often.
• To prevent/treat mouth sores, use a soft toothbrush and rinse three times a day.
• Use an electric razor and soft toothbrush to minimize
bleeding.
• Avoid contact with sports or activities that could cause injuries.
• To help reduce nausea, take medications prescribed by your doctor and eat small frequent meals.
• Avoid a lot of sun exposure by wearing SPF 15, or higher, sunblock and protective clothing.
• Make sure to drink at least two to three quarts of water every 24 hours, unless you are told otherwise.
• Do not drink or minimize the intake of alcoholic beverages. Make sure to get a lot of rest and maintain good nutrition.
Other Drugs that may affect Docetaxel
• Conivaptan
• Imatinib
• Isoniazid
• Certain antibiotics such as Biaxin.
• Certain antifungal medication such as Mycelex Troche.
• Antidepressants such as nefazodone.
• Some heart or blood pressure medications such as diltiazem.
• Some HIV/AIDS medicine such as Reyataz.
Other Information
Taxtoere vials should be stored between 36°F and 77°F. If refrigerated, let the vials sit out at room temperature for about five minutes before use. A twenty-one gauge needle can only be used. You can have a higher risk of death if you have liver problems, receive higher doses of taxotere, or have non-small cell lung cancer.
Clinical Trial Results
In the article “Two Drugs that Hit One Target Improve Survival in Women with Metastatic Breast Cancer”, two drugs had been combined with chemotherapy had became a new treatment for breast cancer. The results how shown that the combination led to a six month improvement in progression-free survival compared with other treatment with trastuzumab and docetaxel. In the trial, more than 800 women were enrolled. Half received all three drugs and the other half received trastuzumab and docetaxel. Median progression-free survival was 18.5 months with the three drugs and 12.4 months with the two drugs. More women who were give the three drug combination had a substantial amount of shrinkage of their tumors compared to the women who received the two drugs.
Citations
• Article Title: Docetaxel
• Website Title: National Cancer Institute
• URL: http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/drugs/docetaxel
• Article Title: Targeted Drug Combination Improves Survival in Women with Metastatic Breast Cancer
• Website Title: National Cancer Institute
• URL: http://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/research/two-drugs-one-target
• Article Title: Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer
• Website Title: National Cancer Institute
• URL: http://www.cancer.gov/types/prostate/prostate-hormone-therapy-fact-sheet
• Article Title: Docetaxel Injection: MedlinePlus Drug Information
• Website Title: U.S National Library of Medicine
• URL: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a696031.html
• Article Title: Docetaxel
• Website Title: - Drug Information
• URL: http://chemocare.com/chemotherapy/drug-info/docetaxel.aspx
• Article Title: Docetaxel (Taxotere)
• Website Title: Cancer Research UK
• URL: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancers-in-general/treatment/cancer-drugs/docetaxel
• Article Title: docetaxel, Taxotere, Docefrez: Drug Facts, Side Effects and Dosing
• Website Title: MedicineNet
• URL: http://www.medicinenet.com/docetaxel/article.htm
• Article Title: Docetaxel (Taxotere ®)
• Website Title: - Cancer Information
• URL:http://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancerinformation/cancertreatment/treatmenttypes/chemotherapy/individualdrugs/docetaxel.aspx
• Website Title: National Center for Biotechnology Information
• URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMHT0010002/?report=details#how_to_use
• Article Title: Taxotere (Docetaxel for Injection) Drug Information: Medication Guide and Patient Information - Prescribing Information at RxList
• Website Title: RxList
• URL: http://www.rxlist.com/taxotere-drug/medication-guide.htm
Docetaxel is a FDA approved chemotherapy drug. It can treat breast, lung, prostate, stomach, and head and neck cancer. Its trade name is Taxotere. It needs to be prescribed by a doctor.. Docetaxel is used in treating cancer; it attacks the cancer cells. It does so by stopping the cancer cell from growing into two new cells. It basically stops the growth of cancer. It belongs to a class of chemotherapy drugs referred to as plant alkaloids. The alkaloid is one of the taxane type drugs that originally developed from the yew tree. It is known as antimicrotuble agents. This agent takes the microtubule structure within the cell and causes the cell to die.
Drug Description
Docetaxel is an antineoplastic agent that belongs to the taxoid …show more content…
family. It’s chemical name is (2R, 3S)-N-carboxy-3-phenylisoserine, N-tert-butyl ester, 13-ester with 5β-20epoxy-1, 2α, 4,7β, 10β, 13α-hexahydroxytax-11-en-9-one 4-acetate 2-benzoate, trihydrate. It’s a white powder and basically insoluble in water. Its molecular weight is 861.9 and its empirical formula is C43H53NO14• 3H2O. The docetaxel injection is a pale yellow to brownish-yellow solution at twenty mg/mL concentrations.
What the drug is used for
Docetaxel is a chemotherapy drug. It can be used alone or with other drugs to treat breast cancer, adenocarcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer, head and neck cancer, and prostate cancer. It treats breast cancer that has spread through other parts of the body and has not gotten better with other chemotherapy. It treats breast cancer that has spread lymph nodes and can be removed by surgery. It treats the patients who have not been treated with chemotherapy for advanced diseases. It treats prostate cancer that has spread in men whose cancer is hormone-resistant. It also treats head and neck cancer that has spread and cannot be removed with surgery. At the moment, it is being studied to treat other kinds of cancer. Examples include small cell lung, ovarian, bladder, and pancreatic cancers.
How it’s used
Docetaxel can be injected into the veins. It does not come as a pill. It is usually given over an hour once every three weeks, depending on the type of cancer. The amount of docetaxel you will receive may depend on things such as height, weight, health, health problems, and the type of cancer or condition being treated. It may be given through a thin, short tube put into a vein in your arm each time you have treatment or a through long, plastic tubes that gives the drugs directly into a large vein in your chest. Doctors may prescribe a steroid medication to help prevent or reduce certain side effects. The steroid medication will usually be used for 3 days, starting the day before each treatment.
How it works
Cancer cells do not have a balance and will divide uncontrollably. So, the drugs will try to damage the RNA or DNA. The RNA and DNA tell the cell how to copy itself in division. When the cells cannot divide, they die. Chemotherapy will kill the cells and cause the tumor to shrink. It may also causes the cells to kill itself. Chemotherapy is scheduled based on the type of cells and the rate they are dividing at. This is the reason chemotherapy is usually given in cycles. It is really effective at killing the cells that are dividing at a fast rate. However, chemotherapy doesn’t know what are the cancer cells and what are the normal cells.
Those normal cells will grow back healthily but side effects, such as low blood cell counts, may occur. Docetaxel takes the microtubule structures within the cell. This causes the death of the cell.
Side Effects
There are side effects that are almost always reversible and will go away after the treatment is finished. The steroid medications prescribed will help to minimize or prevent the side effects. The side effects depend on how much of the drug is given. Some common side effects are low white and red blood cell count. Therefore, the patient would have regular blood tests to check the blood cell level. The low white blood cell count could cause a high risk of getting an infection. The low red blood cell count can cause tiredness and breathlessness. It could cause you to need a blood transfusion. You may also bruise more easily due to the drop in platelets. Hair loss is also very common, it affects about eight out of ten people who get treated.
Other side effects may include:
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Muscle, Bone, or Joint pain
• Nosebleeds
• Blurry Vision
• Allergic Reactions such as rash, flushing, fever, and lowered blood pressure.
• Nail changes
When to contact your doctor
The symptoms that are going to be listed will need medical attention but are not an emergency and you should contact your doctor within 24 hours:
• A fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher because this may be a possible sign of infection.
• Nausea because it may interfere with the ability to eat.
• Vomiting more than four to five times in a twenty-four hour period.
• Diarrhea that lasts four to six episodes in a twenty-four hour period.
• Blood in your stools or urine.
• Extreme fatigue.
• Mouth sores.
• Yellowing of the skin or eyes.
Precautions
• Before the treatment, tell your doctor about any other medications you are taking or if you are allergic to docetaxel injection or any other medications.
• You should not become/be pregnant while using docetaxel because it may harm the fetus. Talk to your doctor about birth control methods to use during the treatment and if you do become pregnant during so, call your doctor.
• You should not breast-feed while using the docetaxel.
• Do not take aspirin or products containing aspirin and do not take any kind of immunization or vaccination without the doctor’s approval.
• If you are to have surgery, inform the doctor that you are using docetaxel injection.
• Docetaxel may make you drowsy and affect your judgment so do not drive a car or do other dangerous actions along those lines for one to two hours after you have taken the medication.
Warnings
• If you have or ever had liver disease you may be at a high risk of developing serious side effects.
• The docetaxel injection may cause low blood cell counts.
• It may cause severe allergic reactions. If you experience hives, itching, chest tightness, fainting, dizziness, nausea, or difficulty breathing/swallowing then call your doctor immediately.
• Docetaxel may cause serious or life-threatening fluid retention. If you experience swelling of the hands, feet, ankles, weight gain, and so on, then call your doctor immediately.
• If you are to forget a dose, call your doctor immediately.
• If you overdose, symptoms may include sore throat, fever, chills, sores in the mouth and throat, skin irritation, weakness, and numbness, tingling, or burning sensation in the hands or feet.
Your doctor should be able to keep check on your body’s health and condition while using the docetaxel injection.
Self-care tips
• Since you are at risk of infection you may want to try to avoid crowds or people who may have slight illnesses as well.
• You should wash you hands often.
• To prevent/treat mouth sores, use a soft toothbrush and rinse three times a day.
• Use an electric razor and soft toothbrush to minimize
bleeding.
• Avoid contact with sports or activities that could cause injuries.
• To help reduce nausea, take medications prescribed by your doctor and eat small frequent meals.
• Avoid a lot of sun exposure by wearing SPF 15, or higher, sunblock and protective clothing.
• Make sure to drink at least two to three quarts of water every 24 hours, unless you are told otherwise.
• Do not drink or minimize the intake of alcoholic beverages. Make sure to get a lot of rest and maintain good nutrition.
Other Drugs that may affect Docetaxel
• Conivaptan
• Imatinib
• Isoniazid
• Certain antibiotics such as Biaxin.
• Certain antifungal medication such as Mycelex Troche.
• Antidepressants such as nefazodone.
• Some heart or blood pressure medications such as diltiazem.
• Some HIV/AIDS medicine such as Reyataz.
Other Information
Taxtoere vials should be stored between 36°F and 77°F. If refrigerated, let the vials sit out at room temperature for about five minutes before use. A twenty-one gauge needle can only be used. You can have a higher risk of death if you have liver problems, receive higher doses of taxotere, or have non-small cell lung cancer.
Clinical Trial Results
In the article “Two Drugs that Hit One Target Improve Survival in Women with Metastatic Breast Cancer”, two drugs had been combined with chemotherapy had became a new treatment for breast cancer. The results how shown that the combination led to a six month improvement in progression-free survival compared with other treatment with trastuzumab and docetaxel. In the trial, more than 800 women were enrolled. Half received all three drugs and the other half received trastuzumab and docetaxel. Median progression-free survival was 18.5 months with the three drugs and 12.4 months with the two drugs. More women who were give the three drug combination had a substantial amount of shrinkage of their tumors compared to the women who received the two drugs.
Citations
• Article Title: Docetaxel
• Website Title: National Cancer Institute
• URL: http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/drugs/docetaxel
• Article Title: Targeted Drug Combination Improves Survival in Women with Metastatic Breast Cancer
• Website Title: National Cancer Institute
• URL: http://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/research/two-drugs-one-target
• Article Title: Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer
• Website Title: National Cancer Institute
• URL: http://www.cancer.gov/types/prostate/prostate-hormone-therapy-fact-sheet
• Article Title: Docetaxel Injection: MedlinePlus Drug Information
• Website Title: U.S National Library of Medicine
• URL: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a696031.html
• Article Title: Docetaxel
• Website Title: - Drug Information
• URL: http://chemocare.com/chemotherapy/drug-info/docetaxel.aspx
• Article Title: Docetaxel (Taxotere)
• Website Title: Cancer Research UK
• URL: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancers-in-general/treatment/cancer-drugs/docetaxel
• Article Title: docetaxel, Taxotere, Docefrez: Drug Facts, Side Effects and Dosing
• Website Title: MedicineNet
• URL: http://www.medicinenet.com/docetaxel/article.htm
• Article Title: Docetaxel (Taxotere ®)
• Website Title: - Cancer Information
• URL:http://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancerinformation/cancertreatment/treatmenttypes/chemotherapy/individualdrugs/docetaxel.aspx
• Website Title: National Center for Biotechnology Information
• URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMHT0010002/?report=details#how_to_use
• Article Title: Taxotere (Docetaxel for Injection) Drug Information: Medication Guide and Patient Information - Prescribing Information at RxList
• Website Title: RxList
• URL: http://www.rxlist.com/taxotere-drug/medication-guide.htm