[The role of taxanes in breast cancer chemotherapy: what's new 15 years after?].

Taxanes were established as leading drugs in chemotherapy of breast cancer. In the first line chemotherapy of advanced disease taxanes were combined with other cytostatics. Taxane-based combinations in comparison with taxanes in sequential use were observed. There was insufficient evidence to discriminate in favour of taxane-based combinations. In randomized studies several oftaxane-based combinations were tested: taxanes with anthracyclines, capecitabine and gemcitabine. There is no evidence data to prefer any taxane combination to another. Taxanes became fundamental in the adjuvant setting of node positive breast cancer patients. The results of recent meta-analysis were not influenced by the number of axillary metastases or by estrogen receptor expression. At this time there is no data to support the superiority of any particular taxane. Paclitaxel is treatment schedule dependent, because its weekly administration setting may result in better treatment outcome. Docetaxel may be more effective if given every 3 weeks rather than weekly. Targeted therapy in combination with taxanes improves survival rate in adjuvant setting as in advanced disease.