Paclitaxel

Paclitaxel (Taxol) is a cancer drug active against KS lesions. It is currently recommended for second-line treatment where liposomal drugs have failed or where KS has relapsed after initial treatment. The drug requires a three hour infusion every two to three weeks according to the dosing schedule used, and must be administered with a corticosteroid in order to reduce the risk of allergic reaction.

Bone marrow suppression, hair loss and muscle pain occur more frequently with paclitaxel than with liposomal KS treatments, and like those drugs, paclitaxel may also cause neutropenia.

Clinical trials report response rates of 50-70%, although the only study to report the duration of response showed that this was not long-lasting (median 10 months).^{1 2}