paclitaxel + radiation therapy

paclitaxel + radiation therapy is a combination treatment regimen evaluated by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) for the management of nonmetastatic, unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The regimen consists of weekly intravenous paclitaxel (Taxol) administered concurrently with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT). Paclitaxel, a small molecule taxane, functions as a microtubule stabilizer that binds to tubulin, preventing the disassembly of microtubules and arresting the cell cycle at the G2/M phase. This arrest synchronizes the tumor cell population in a phase of the cell cycle that is particularly sensitive to ionizing radiation, thereby acting as a potent radiosensitizer. The Phase II RTOG-98-12 trial demonstrated that this combination was feasible and well-tolerated, showing improved survival outcomes compared to historical controls using radiation and fluoropyrimidines.

Brand names

Taxol

Other names

paclitaxel chemotherapyweekly paclitaxelexternal beam radiation therapy