gemcitabine + docetaxel (Asan Medical Center)

gemcitabine + docetaxel is a combination chemotherapy regimen investigated for the treatment of advanced or metastatic sarcomas, particularly in patients who have previously failed anthracycline or ifosfamide-based therapies. Gemcitabine is a pyrimidine nucleoside analog that functions as an antimetabolite; it is phosphorylated intracellularly into active metabolites that inhibit DNA synthesis and ribonucleotide reductase. In this specific regimen, gemcitabine is often administered at a fixed-dose rate (e.g., 10 mg/m²/min) to maximize the rate of intracellular phosphorylation of the drug into its active form. Docetaxel is a taxane that binds to and stabilizes microtubules, inhibiting their depolymerization and causing cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase. Asan Medical Center has conducted Phase II clinical trials (such as NCT00411177) to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this combination in patients with advanced soft tissue and bone sarcomas, demonstrating its role as a viable salvage therapy option.

Brand names

GemzarTaxotere

Other names

Gemcitabine and DocetaxelGD regimenGemTaxWeekly Docetaxel and Fixed-Dose Rate Gemcitabine