[Neurotoxicity of weekly TP (weekly paclitaxel + consecutive low-dose CDDP) therapy].

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate drug-induced neurotoxicity with combination consecutive low-dose CDDP (CLD-CDDP) and weekly paclitaxel in comparison with TJ therapy. Neurotoxicity was judged according to accumulative scores on questionnaires. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Weekly TP therapy (CDDP: 10 mg/m2, days 1-7, paclitaxel: 60-80 mg/m2, days 1, 8, 15) and TJ therapy (paclitaxel: 170-180 mg/m2, 3 hours, carboplatin AUC 4-5) were given to 24 subjects in 57 courses and 19 subjects in 30 courses as previously reported, respectively. RESULTS: 1. Significant differences were found in numbness accumulative scores (p = 0.011) between weekly TP and TJ therapy, but not in pain accumulative scores (p = 0.926) between weekly TP and TJ therapy. 2. Peak pain at days 3-4 of paclitaxel that appeared during TJ therapy disappeared during weekly TP therapy, while numbness persisted to a lesser extent with weekly TP therapy than with TJ therapy. 3. Numbness was observed to accumulate in some subjects but not in others during weekly TP therapy. CONCLUSION: The patients' subjective symptoms were able to be objectively evaluated with the questionnaires. Weekly paclitaxel was observed to reduce neurotoxicity, which might be reinforced in combination with CDDP.