Docetaxel (patient information)

IMPORTANT WARNING
Docetaxel can cause a decrease in the number of blood cells in your bone marrow. Docetaxel also can cause liver damage. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had liver disease. Your doctor will order certain lab tests to check your response to docetaxel.

Allergic reactions may occur during docetaxel administration; you will receive medication before each treatment to help prevent these reactions. With these preventive medications, these allergic reactions are uncommon. Your health care provider will watch you carefully during the initial part of the infusion to treat these effects if they occur. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: shortness of breath, facial flushing, fever, chest pain, dizziness, lightheadedness, or skin rash.

About your treatment
Your doctor has ordered the drug docetaxel to help treat your illness. The drug is given by injection into your vein.

This medication is used to treat:


 * metastatic breast cancer

This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Docetaxel 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.

Precautions
Before taking docetaxel:


 * tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to docetaxel or any other drugs.
 * tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially aspirin, cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), erythromycin, ketoconazole (Nizoral), troleandomycin (TAO), and vitamins.
 * tell your doctor if you have or have ever had liver or kidney disease.
 * you should know that docetaxel 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. Docetaxel may harm the fetus.
 * do not have any vaccinations (e.g., measles or flu shots) without talking to your doctor.

Minor side effects
Side effects from docetaxel are common and include:


 * thinned or brittle hair
 * diarrhea
 * loss of appetite
 * nausea
 * vomiting

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 or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, call your doctor immediately:


 * unusual bruising or bleeding
 * severe vomiting
 * chills
 * cough
 * sore throat
 * muscle aches, bone pain, and other flu-like symptoms
 * difficulty swallowing
 * change in normal bowel habits for more than 2 days
 * swelling of the feet, increases in waistline size, weight gain, or overall puffiness

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.

Brand names

 * Taxotere®