Strong data for Sanofi's Taxotere in node (+) breast cancer

French drug major Sanofi-Aventis says that data published in the December issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology demonstrate that sequential adjuvant chemotherapy with FEC (fluorouracil, epirubicin [100mg/m2], and cyclophosphamide), followed by its drug Taxotere (docetaxel), significantly improves disease-free and overall survival in node-positive breast cancer patients and has a favorable safety profile compared with six cycles of FEC alone.

The five-year overall survival rates were 86.7% with FEC compared to 90.7% with FEC-Taxotere (FEC-T) demonstrating a 27% reduction in the relative risk of death with FEC-T. Multivariate analysis adjusted for prognostic factors showed an 18% reduction in the relative risk of relapse in patients receiving FEC-T, compared with those on FEC.

Rob Coleman, a doctor at the Weston Park Hospital, Sheffield, UK, said: "the results from the PACS 01 trial are really exciting, they show that, by using sequential treatment with FEC and Taxotere, we are able to achieve significant benefits in disease-free and overall survival with an acceptable tolerability for patients. It is really important in chemotherapy to find methods of achieving maximum results while minimizing the side effects of the therapy."