In a nutshell
The authors aimed to determine the impact of docetaxel on patient quality of life.
Some background
Metastatic cancer is cancer that has spread around the body from the primary tumor site. Docetaxel (Taxotere, Docecad) is a chemotherapy drug used to treat lung, prostate, breast, stomach and head/neck cancer by preventing cancer cell growth. 10 out of every 100 patients will experience side-effects as a result of treatment. Side-effects can include fatigue, low blood cell count, bruising, increased risk of infection, fluid build-up, rash, diarrhea and nausea.
Methods & findings
The aim of this study was to determine the effects of docetaxel in metastatic cancer patients.
2,659 patients with metastatic cancer were used in this study where 48.1% had prostate cancer. 82.1% of patients suffered from at least one side-effect from docetaxel treatment. The most common side-effects experienced were blood toxicity (58.5%), skin disorders (48.4%) and stomach and intestine toxicity (47.5%). The most common grade 3 or 4 (severe side-effects that can be life-threatening) side-effects experienced were low immune cell count, hair loss and nausea.
Diarrhea had the strongest negative effect on patient quality of life, followed by vomiting, nausea and stomach inflammation. Patients who experienced diarrhea had a low quality of life score (rating system that determines the impact of treatment on patients emotional, social and physical abilities) of 33.06 compared to 50.91 in patients who were not treated with docetaxel.
Vomiting significantly affected emotional, physical and social functioning. Fatigue and pain and resulted in a low quality of life score of 35.17 compared to 50.91 in patients who did not receive docetaxel. Patients who experienced nausea had a score of 36.68 compared to 50.91 in patients who were not treated with docetaxel. Patients who experienced infection had a quality of life score of 37.14 compared to 50.90 in patients who did not.
The bottom line
The authors concluded that docetaxel side-effects had a strong effect on patient quality of life, in particular vomiting and diarrhea.
What’s next?
If you are considering docetaxel treatment, please consult your doctor for potential risks and benefits.
Published By :
Annals of oncology
Date :
Mar 09, 2015
