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Posted on Jun 06, 2005, 10 a.m.
By Bill Freeman
A new drug combination containing docetaxel could reduce breast cancer death rates reported three newspapers on 2 June 2005. The newspapers accurately described the 5-year results of a large reliable trial comparing two post-surgery chemotherapy treatments in patients with a specific type of breast cancer.
A new drug combination containing docetaxel could reduce breast cancer death rates reported three newspapers on 2 June 2005. The newspapers accurately described the 5-year results of a large reliable trial comparing two post-surgery chemotherapy treatments in patients with a specific type of breast cancer.
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Three newspapers (1-3) reported that a mixture of the drugs docetaxel (Taxotere®), doxorubicin (Adriamycin®) and cyclophosphamide (TAC) can improve survival in women with breast cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes in the armpit. Two newspapers (1,2) also reported the higher level of side-effects with this combination of drugs as compared to a standard therapy.
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The newspaper articles were based on an ongoing clinical trial (4) involving 1491 breast cancer patients in whom cancer had spread to one or more lymph nodes. The women were randomly assigned to undergo chemotherapy with either TAC or a standard combination of drugs (fluorouracil, doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (FAC)) after surgery to treat their cancer. After almost 5 years the rate of survival without relapse was significantly higher in the patients receiving TAC than those on FAC. Overall survival was also better although TAC was associated with more side-effects and a reduction in the patients' quality of life during the treatment period.
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The details reported by the newspapers were accurate, although one article was very brief (3). Overall, the interim findings of the research are likely to be reliable.
