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CHICAGO (AP) - A study in which women with breast cancer were given two chemotherapy drugs simultaneously was cut short after the combination contributed to the deaths of two patients and caused life-threatening complications in an alarming number of others.
The problems developed in women given the standard intravenous drug doxorubicin along with a newer drug called docetaxel. The two drugs are frequently used alone to treat breast cancer. Scientists have been exploring the effects of combining them, with mixed results so far.
Docetaxel, or Taxotere, belongs to a class of cancer drugs that also includes Taxol. These drugs are derived from the yew tree and have shown promise in improving cancer survival.
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