Are Taxanes Safe for Pregnant Patients with Breast Cancer?

Chemotherapy during pregnancy gives many clinicians pause. Although use of anthracyclines beyond the first trimester is considered safe, information on other cancer drugs, including taxanes, is more limited.

In a retrospective, international cohort study, researchers assessed maternal and neonatal adverse events associated with use of taxanes during pregnancy in patients with breast cancer. Of 103 patients, (41% from the U.S.), 77% had stage II or III disease. Paclitaxel was the most commonly administered taxane (96%), mostly at a dose of 80 mg/m² weekly. The median gestational age at initiation of any chemotherapy was 16 weeks and for taxane therapy was 28 weeks.

The prevalence of maternal adverse events was low (grade 3–4, 6.8%) and similar…