Taxol (Paclitaxel): What to Expect, Side Effects, and More
Taxol is a taxane chemotherapy drug. It is used to treat both early-stage breast cancer and advanced, or metastatic, breast cancer. Other taxanes used to treat breast cancer include nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane) and docetaxel (Taxotere).
Taxol breast cancer treatment is usually given in combination with other chemotherapy medicines, including in the THP and AC-T chemo regimen. It is used after surgery to:
reduce the risk of early-stage breast cancer coming back
treat advanced-stage breast cancer after it stops responding to standard chemotherapy regimens that include an anthracycline
See Taxol prescribing information.
How Taxol works
Taxol (chemical name: paclitaxel) blocks cells from being able to divide, causing the cells to die..
What to expect during Taxol treatment
Taxol is commonly given as an infusion into a vein in the hand or arm. People usually take medications to minimize allergic reactions to the infusion before the infusion takes place. If you feel any swelling, pain, or burning where Taxol is injected, tell your care team.
You may have a Taxol infusion weekly or every two or three weeks. Each infusion lasts about two hours. It’s possible that your doctors may decide to prescribe you weekly infusions in lower doses, with each infusion lasting one hour.
A study found that getting Taxol weekly had more benefits than getting Taxol every three weeks for women diagnosed with breast cancer that had spread to the lymph nodes or that hadn't spread to the lymph nodes but was considered high risk.
Taxol chemo can lower white blood cell count, which helps your body fight infections. It can also lower blood platelet counts. Having a lower blood platelet count can make bleeding more likely if you’re injured. If you’re receiving Taxol breast cancer treatment, your blood should be tested regularly.
You may also be given other medications to prevent an allergic reaction.
Taxol side effects
Like almost all breast cancer medicines, Taxol can cause side effects. Some of the Taxol side effects are severe, so your vital signs — including blood pressure, oxygen levels, and kidney function — will be closely monitored.
The most common side effects of Taxol are:
susceptibility to infection
irregular periods or permanent cessation of menstrual periods
If you have an allergic reaction to Taxol, you should get emergency medical help right away. Signs of an allergic reaction include:
hives
difficulty breathing or feeling like you might pass out
swelling in your face, lips, tongue, or throat
Real patient reviews
Members of our community discuss their experiences with Taxol in the community forum. Here are some of their comments. Remember, it's very important to talk to your doctor about any side effects you're having and ask about ways to manage them.
“I have bone and lung mets and I had 20 weekly treatments of Taxol. My schedule was three weekly treatments, one week off. Lost 50% of my hair a week after my second treatment. Started off bad, I couldn't tolerate the dexadron in the treatment. But once they got rid of that, I flew through treatments without any problems until about the 16th treatment. Started getting fatique, but it wasn't really that bad. Ironically, I felt better during treatment, than I do now. But it did a pretty good job of shrinking and stabilizing tumors.” —Karen2012
“I started weekly Taxol on June 1st after progression on Femara, Faslodex, and Tamoxifen. I have found it to be pretty easy. I had some problems with diarrhea and mouth sores after the second treatment. I found that Immodium helped the diarrhea tremendously.” - jlmacy
“I started out with multiple liver and bone mets. Did taxol three weeks on and a week off for a total of seventeen months before I had progression on it. Benadryl, anti-nausea, and steroids were my premeds. Had severe nausea and vomiting in the beginning...maybe the first month...but then for some unknown reason I tolerated it better and lived very well on it for several months...did not suffer greatly from either neuropathy or fatigue and felt lucky to have been able to milk it for seventeen months before having to switch!” - JillThut
Read more in the Taxol discussion forum.
Paying for Taxol
The cost of Taxol may vary. The price you’ll pay depends on your health insurance provider and plan, where you live, and the pharmacy you use
You may also be charged for the office visits required for Taxol infusions.
Note: Your insurance company may require you to get prior authorization before covering Taxol.
If you have trouble paying for Taxol, ask your care team about financial assistance programs that may be able to help.
Learn more about financial assistance and medicine cost-lowering tips.
— Last updated on June 2, 2025 at 3:07 PM
