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New Chemo Easier for Penile Cancer Patients
18 Sep
Summary
- Paclitaxel combo better tolerated than 5-FU for penile cancer.
- Fewer side effects and hospitalizations seen with paclitaxel.
- Trial suggests higher treatment completion rates with paclitaxel.
A clinical trial conducted by doctors at Mumbai's Tata Memorial Centre has revealed that a specific chemotherapy drug combination may be more easily tolerated by patients with high-risk penile cancer. The study compared paclitaxel and 5-FU, both administered with a platinum drug, finding that the paclitaxel regimen resulted in significantly fewer serious side effects.
Patients receiving paclitaxel experienced fewer treatment-related hospitalizations and demonstrated a greater likelihood of completing all planned chemotherapy rounds. While the trial was small and could not definitively establish improved survival rates, the findings suggest paclitaxel-platinum is a safer alternative with reduced toxicities.
Penile cancer is rare globally but was reported in high numbers in India in 2020. The study aimed to address a lack of high-quality evidence guiding chemotherapy for this disease, particularly for patients at high risk of recurrence after surgery.
