Affiliation:
1. University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium
Abstract
Abstract
Docetaxel and paclitaxel represent a new class of cytotoxic agents having both a specific chemical structure and mechanism of action. They act to promote tubulin polymerization and the formation of stable microtubules. The microtubules produced in the presence of taxoids are resistant to disassembly by physiologic stimuli, and cells exposed to these agents exhibit an accumulation of disorganized microtubule arrays. This affects the normal mitotic process and eventually results in cell death.
Both drugs are active as single agents in patients with head and neck cancer with response rates ranging from 20% to 40%. They may be combined with other cytotoxic agents, radiotherapy, or both. A review is given of the presently available data.
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Reference65 articles.
1. The taxoids. Comparative clinical pharmacology and therapeutic potential;Eisenhauer;Drugs,1998
2. The relationship between Bcl-2, Bax and p53: consequences for cell cycle progression and cell death;Basu;Mol Hum Reprod,1998
3. Alteration of the Bcl-2/bax status of head and neck cancer cell lines by chemotherapeutic agents;Kawakami;Anticancer Res,1999
4. Pharmacodynamics of Taxol in human head and neck tumors;Gan;Cancer Res,1996
5. Paclitaxel-induced apoptotic changes followed by time-lapse video microscopy in cell lines established from head and neck cancer;Pulkkinen;J Cancer Res Clin Oncol,1996
Cited by
45 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献，注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献，订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献