Docetaxel injection: Clinical Applications, Mechanism of Action and Side Effects

Clinical Applications

Docetaxel is a chemotherapy drug in the paclitaxel class that is used to treat many different types of cancer. It is approved by the FDA as a first-line treatment for prostate cancer in combination with cisplatin and is the standard of care for castration-resistant prostate cancer. Docetaxel injection is also used to treat the following conditions:

• Advanced or metastatic (cancer that has spread) breast cancer that has not responded well to other previous treatments. It is used with other drugs (e.g., cyclophosphamide, adriamycin) to treat lymph node-positive breast cancer that can be removed by surgery.

• Advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

• Advanced gastric cancer: use in combination with cisplatin and fluorouracil for the treatment of patients who have not received treatment for advanced cancer such as gastric adenocarcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the gastro-oesophageal junction.

• Used in combination with cisplatin and fluorouracil as first treatment for advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).

• Other Cancer Types

Mechanism of Action

Docetaxel interferes with structures in cells called microtubules that help move chromosomes during mitosis (cell division). It stops the growth of cancer cells and other dividing cells by blocking cell division.

Side Effects

The most common side effects of Docetaxel Injection include: infusion reactions (flushing, itching, dyspnoea, which may be severe enough to cause anaphylactic shock and cardiopulmonary arrest), bone marrow suppression, febrile neutropenia, fatigue, diarrhoea and fluid retention. Occasionally, anaemia, neutropenia, leucopenia, thrombocytopenia, changes in skin colour, chest discomfort, severe stomach pain, unusual tiredness, and changes in nails may be seen. 

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