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Taxotere and Xeloda effective together?

Page last modified on: November 20, 2008

Question from Jamie: What are the indicators Taxotere and Xeloda are working for Stage IV breast cancer?: Answers —Hope Rugo, M.D.: Taxotere and Xeloda (chemical names: docetaxel and capecitabine) is a combination that is very effective treatment for metastatic breast cancer. We don't yet know what the best combination therapy is, or in what situation combination therapy would be better than sequential single agent chemotherapy. This particular combination has to be used with caution because of the risk of skin toxicity from Xeloda, but it is very effective treatment with a higher response than single agent treatments with Taxotere.

For some people, the higher response is worth the side effects of the combination. For other patients, survival is identical when given Taxotere first or Xeloda first followed by the next chemotherapy when their cancer progresses. I use combination therapy only for more resistant disease. Another very effective combination is Taxotere and gemcitabine (Gemzar) for early stage breast cancer to see whether potentially improved response might translate to improved outcome for women with curable disease. For treatment of women with advanced breast cancer, toxicity always needs to be a consideration and if it is not clear that a treatment that is more toxic will improve survival, the treatment needs to be used very judiciously.; Jennifer Armstrong, M.D.: I'm so glad that Dr. Rugo brought up the issue of combination chemotherapy vs. sequential single agent chemotherapy. I too tend to favor sequential single agent chemotherapy in the metastatic setting to minimize toxicity while still optimizing benefits. And in another situation in which combination chemotherapy is considered not only in resistant disease but when there is a need for a rapid response, Dr. Rugo's comments on specific toxicity profiles are quite important.

On Wednesday, June 15, 2005 our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Updates from the 2005 ASCO Annual Meeting. Hope Rugo, M.D. and moderator Jennifer Armstrong, M.D. answered your questions on the latest research advances presented at the 2005 American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Orlando, FL.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Hope S. Rugo, M.D. is a clinical professor of medicine in the division of hematology and oncology at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she directs the Breast Oncology Clinical Trials Program.

Jennifer Armstrong, M.D. is a breast cancer oncologist at Paoli Hematology-Oncology Associates in Paoli, Pa., with a special interest in physicians' communication skills.