Monotherapy with Paclitaxel as Third-Line Chemotherapy against Anthracycline-Pretreated and Docetaxel-Refractory Metastatic Breast Cancer

We describe a patient with anthracycline-pretreated and docetaxel-refractory metastatic breast cancer who achieved a complete response after third-line chemotherapy with paclitaxel. A 59-year-old woman underwent modified radical mastectomy for advanced cancer in her left breast after local arterial neoadjuvant chemotherapy with anthracycline. Postoperatively anthracycline-containing adjuvant therapy was administered. Pulmonary metastases occurred 15 months after surgery, which did not respond to 4 cycles of second-line chemotherapy with docetaxel, given at 60 mg/m2 every 3 weeks. Therefore 210 mg/m2 of paclitaxel was given every 3 weeks as third-line monotherapy and induced a complete response with grade 3 neutropenia and hair loss as the major adverse effects.