Background: Premedication with dexamethasone, ranitidine and clemastine is mandatory for patients receiving paclitaxel to avoid hypersensitivity reactions. The proposed dexamethasone dose is 20 mg orally 12 and 6 h prior to paclitaxel infusion. With this premedication severe hypersensitivity reactions are reduced to 1-2% of the treated patients. Besides this oral schedule a single dose of dexamethasone, 40 mg given i.v., just prior to paclitaxel has been shown to be equally effective. In an attempt to reduce steroid-induced side effects, especially for patients receiving weekly paclitaxel protocols, we reduced the dexamethasone dose.
Patients and methods: A total of 132 patients were treated on an outpatient basis with paclitaxel-containing protocols. Paclitaxel was given in doses of 135-175 mg/m(2) once every 3 weeks in 76 patients and/or with 100 mg/m(2) weekly in 70 patients. Dexamethasone premedication was given in a single dose (40, 20, 10 mg) as an infusion directly before paclitaxel.
Results: 0/46 patients receiving 40 mg dexamethasone premedication in 235 cycles and 0/48 patients receiving 20 mg dexamethasone premedication in 186 cycles experienced a severe hypersensitivity reaction. 1/52 patients receiving 10 mg dexamethasone in 480 applications developed a severe hypersensitivity reaction with bronchospasm, hypotension and supraventricular tachycardia shortly after her first paclitaxel infusion started.
Conclusion: No increase of severe hypersensitivity reactions is seen when dexamethasone premedication is reduced to doses of 20 or even 10 mg prior to paclitaxel infusion.
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