Taxane-Induced Alopecia: A Historical Review of Patients With Ovarian or Breast Cancer Treated With Paclitaxel, Docetaxel, or Paclitaxel Poliglumex

The study reviewed the incidence of alopecia in patients with ovarian or breast cancer treated with paclitaxel, docetaxel, or paclitaxel poliglumex (PPX). It was found that traditional taxanes like paclitaxel and docetaxel caused high rates of alopecia, with 87% of paclitaxel-treated and 74.2% of docetaxel-treated patients experiencing hair loss. In contrast, PPX, a macromolecular drug conjugate, resulted in significantly less alopecia. In a phase 2 trial, only 7% of patients experienced mild hair thinning, and no grade 3 alopecia was observed among 275 patients treated with PPX. The study concluded that PPX offered effective taxane therapy with minimal alopecia, thus potentially improving patients' quality of life.