| Active ingredients | Dosage | Special features |
| Cabazitaxel | k. A. | |
| Docetaxel | k. A | |
| Paclitaxel | 80 mg/m² i. v. over 60 minutes | Allergic reactions may be induced by paclitaxel, which must be watched for during treatment |
- Mode of action: Taxanes act primarily on the basis of disrupting mitosis (cell division). Paclitaxel binds to β-tubulin and interferes with the degradation of microtubules, which are part of the essential mitotic spindle during mitosis.
- Side effects: Leukopenia (deficiency of white blood cells), thrombopenias (deficiency of platelets), nausea (nausea), vomiting, sterility, myalgia (muscle pain), polyneuropathy (PNP; synonym: peripheral neuropathy; disease of the peripheral nervous system associated with chronic disorders of peripheral nerves or parts of nerves), alopecia (hair loss) – depending on the drug.
- Note for breast cancer patients treated with paclitaxel: Independent risk factors for paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy (PIPN) include: Progesterone receptor-positive: relative risk [RR]: 1.88 (95% confidence interval: 1.19-2.22; p =0.015) and older age (RR: 1.57).According to a randomized double-blind study, omega-3 fatty acids may be useful in preventing PIPN in patients with lymph node-positive breast carcinoma.
The effects, indications, side effects and substances listed above represent an overview and do not claim to be complete.