Paclitaxel (patient information)
About your treatment
Your doctor has ordered the drug paclitaxel to help treat your illness. The drug is given by injection into a vein.
This medication is used to treat:
- metastatic breast cancer
- metastatic ovarian cancer
- Kaposi's sarcoma
This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Paclitaxel is in a class of drugs known as taxanes. It slows or stops the growth of cancer cells in your body. The length of treatment depends on the types of drugs you are taking, how well your body responds to them, and the type of cancer you have.
Other uses for this medicine
Paclitaxel has been used to treat head and neck cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer, and bladder cancer. Talk to your doctor about the possible risks of using this drug for your condition.
Precautions
Before taking paclitaxel
- tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to paclitaxel, cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), teniposide (Vumon), other drugs containing Cremophor EL (polyoxyethylated castor oil) or any other drugs.
- tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially aspirin and vitamins.
- tell your doctor if you have or have ever had heart or liver disease.
- you should know that paclitaxel may interfere with the normal menstrual cycle (period) in women and may stop sperm production in men. However, you should not assume that you cannot get pregnant or that you cannot get someone else pregnant. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding should tell their doctors before they begin taking this drug. You should not plan to have children while receiving chemotherapy or for a while after treatments. (Talk to your doctor for further details.) Use a reliable method of birth control to prevent pregnancy. Paclitaxel may harm the fetus.
- do not have any vaccinations (e.g., measles or flu shots) without talking to your doctor.
- your doctor will prescribe a medication called dexamethasone (Decadron) which must be taken before your treatment. If you forget to take the dexamethasone, tell your doctor as soon as possible.
Side effects
Mild side effects
Side effects from paclitaxel are common, and include:
- nausea and vomiting
- loss of appetite
- change in taste
- thinned or brittle hair
- pain in the joints of the arms or legs lasting 2-3 days
- changes in the color of the nails
- tingling in the hands or toes
Tell your doctor if either of these symptoms is severe or lasts for several hours:
- mouth blistering
- fatigue
Severe side effects
If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:
- unusual bruising or bleeding
- pain, redness, or swelling at the injection site
- change in normal bowel habits for more than 2 days
- fever
- chills
- cough
- sore throat
- difficulty swallowing
- dizziness
- shortness of breath
- severe exhaustion
- skin rash
- facial flushing
- chest pain
If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at http://www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].
In case of emergency/overdose
In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.
Special instructions
The most common side effect of paclitaxel is a decrease of blood cells. Your doctor may order tests before, during, and after your treatment to see if your blood cells are affected by the drug.
Brand names
- Onxol®
- Taxol®