Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (8)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Stemmler, H. J.
Right arrow Articles by Heinemann, V.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Stemmler, H. J.
Right arrow Articles by Heinemann, V.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Annals of Oncology 13:978-981, 2002
© 2002 European Society for Medical Oncology

Clinical Investigations

Gastrointestinal toxicity associated with weekly docetaxel treatment

H. J. Stemmler1,+, S. Kenngott2, H. Diepolder2 and V. Heinemann1

Departments of 1Internal Medicine III, 2Internal Medicine II, Klinikum Großhadern, University of Munich, Germany

Received 21 September 2001; accepted 4 October 2001.

Abstract

Previous studies have demonstrated a marked reduction of haematological and non-haematological toxicity if weekly doses of docetaxel <40 mg/m2 were used. Reviewing the literature, neutropenic enterocolitis is uncommon but not unknown in patients treated with taxane-based chemotherapy. Although this complication occurs rarely, here we report on two patients, one with metastatic breast cancer and one with non-small-cell lung cancer, treated on a weekly schedule with single-agent docetaxel. Both patients developed excessive and fatal haemorrhragic gastroduodenitis and enterocolitis associated with grade 2 and 3 neutropenia. We would like to stress the importance of symptoms such as abdominal pain and tenderness, fever, diarrhoea and mucositis, with or without neutropenic fever, in patients treated with docetaxel-based chemotherapy. These symptoms should alert the physician and supportive care management should be started aggressively and immediately.

Key words: chemotherapy, docetaxel (Taxotere®), neutropenic enterocolitis


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.