Nab-paclitaxel demonstrated superior activity vs paclitaxel in early breast cancer

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

In the GeparSepto clinical trial sponsored by the German Breast Group (GBG), nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane) demonstrated significant benefit for patients with early high-risk breast cancer compared with conventional solvent-based paclitaxel. Researchers found a statistically significant and clinically meaningful 9% absolute improvement in pathological complete response (pCR) rate when neoadjuvant chemotherapy was started with nab-paclitaxel instead of paclitaxel followed by epirubicin/cyclophosphamide, all given before surgery. The nab-paclitaxel dose used in the study was 125 mg/m2 for most of the participants after an initial higher dose was reduced based on an interim safety analysis, which delivered 56% more chemotherapy to the tumor than conventional paclitaxel. The percentage of patients taking nab-paclitaxel who discontinued the treatment due to toxicities was higher compared with those patients taking paclitaxel (17% vs 6%); however, most patients did continue onto the next stage of treatment and surgery. “This is the first time in 18 years of GBG running neoadjuvant studies in collaboration with AGO-B [study group] that pCR rates could be strongly increased by replacing a key component of the standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy instead of just adding additional agents to it,” reported the chairman and managing director of GBG.