Abstract

A STUDY ON THERAPEUTIC COMPARISON BETWEEN CONVENTIONAL PACLITAXEL AND NANOPARTICLE ALBUMIN BOUND PACLITAXEL IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS

Christy Sara Andrews*, Haritha B. Nair, Haritha P. Asok, Haja Sherief S. and Sivakumar T.

Abstract

Purpose: The Paclitaxel is proved to be more active in patients who are disease resistant to or who got relapse after the treatment with anthracyclines. The nanoparticle albumin bound paclitaxel (Nab.Paclitaxel) which is free of solvents was compared with polyethylated castor oil based conventional paclitaxel (Con.Paclitaxel) in patients with metastatic breast cancer who were failed in their first line chemotherapy. This study was done to analyse the efficacy and safety of both drugs. Methods: A prospective observational study was done at Cancer Centre for 6 months and the sample size was 40 with 20 in each group. Patients were assigned to 4 cycles of either nanoparticle albumin bound paclitaxel intravenously without premedication or conventional paclitaxel intravenously with premedications. Results and Discussion: It was found that the overall response rate of Nab.Paclitaxel was higher (65%) when compared with Con.Paclitaxel (35%). Incidence of adverse drug reactions was higher in Con. Paclitaxel than the other group. Among them, grade 4 Neutropenia was high in Con.Paclitaxel group where as Peripheral Neuropathy was found more in Nab.Paclitaxel group. The cost of Nab.Paclitaxel was more than the other group. Conclusion: Nab.Paclitaxel was found to be more effective as a second-line treatment for patient with metastasis as the response rate to treatment was higher and the incidence of adverse drug reactions were less than the other. Though the cost of Nab.Paclitaxel is higher than Con.Paclitaxel, when compared to the benefits of both drugs, Nab.Paclitaxel is found to be the better choice of drug.

Keywords: Breast Cancer, Conventional Paclitaxel, Nanoparticle Albumin Bound Paclitaxel.