Docetaxel News and Research

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Docetaxel is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be used alone or with other drugs to treat certain types of breast and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It is also approved to be used with other drugs to treat squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) and certain types of gastric and prostate cancer.

Docetaxel is a semi-synthetic, second-generation taxane derived from a compound found in the European yew tree Taxus baccata. Docetaxel displays potent and broad antineoplastic properties; it binds to and stabilizes tubulin, thereby inhibiting microtubule disassembly which results in cell- cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and cell death. This agent also inhibits pro-angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and displays immunomodulatory and pro-inflammatory properties by inducing various mediators of the inflammatory response. Docetaxel has been studied for use as a radiation-sensitizing agent.

Stage 1 findings support continued pivotal phase evaluation of gotistobart

Patients with metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose disease progressed following PD-(L)1 inhibitor therapy experienced a median overall survival of 18.5 months with the investigational anti-CTLA-4 antibody gotistobart compared with 10.0 months for patients receiving docetaxel, according to updated findings from Stage 1 of the Phase 3 PRESERVE-003 trial.

15 Sep 2026

Psilocybin protects sensory nerves from chemotherapy damage in preclinical study

In mouse models, prophylactic psilocybin prevented or reduced multiple features of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, with cycle-matched dosing sustaining protection during repeated cisplatin exposure without measurably affecting tumor growth. Experiments in human-derived sensory neurons and ex vivo peripheral nerves linked the effect to 5-HT2A-dependent preservation of mitochondrial trafficking and local axonal energy supply, while a nonhallucinogenic 5-HT2A agonist reproduced protection against mechanical hypersensitivity.

6 Sep 2026

Daraxonrasib shows durable responses in RAS-mutant lung cancer

Daraxonrasib, an oral RAS inhibitor therapy, achieved durable responses in pretreated patients with RAS-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a Phase 1/2 trial led by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

2 Sep 2026

Ferroptosis-based therapy shows promise for advanced prostate cancer treatment

A recent review explores the rapidly expanding field of ferroptosis-based therapy for prostate cancer, presenting ferroptosis as a promising strategy to overcome resistance in advanced and castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).

6 Aug 2026

ASPIRE trial explores survival benefits of adding chemotherapy to standard prostate cancer treatment

The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology is now enrolling patients in the ASPIRE trial (A032302)-a large-scale, phase III clinical study investigating whether adding chemotherapy to current standard treatments extends survival for men with advanced prostate cancer.

4 May 2026

FOXJ1 gene may drive resistance to taxane chemotherapy in advanced prostate cancer

A gene called FOXJ1 may drive resistance to taxane chemotherapy during treatment for advanced prostate cancer, according to a new study led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

10 Mar 2026

Tiny organism offers insight into neurological side effects of chemotherapy

Chemotherapy remains one of the most powerful tools in the fight against cancer, yet it often comes with significant long-term side effects that can dramatically affect patients' quality of life.

11 Feb 2026

Study offers new models for understanding the causes of chemo brain

Cancer is a challenging enough diagnosis, but many patients are dealt a second blow, even as they heal: "chemo brain."

13 Oct 2025

New drug combination could delay the progression of advanced prostate cancer

A new drug combination could significantly delay the progression of a life-threatening form of prostate cancer in men with specific genetic mutations, finds a major international trial led by UCL researchers.

7 Oct 2025

New ASPIRE trial tests chemotherapy combination for advanced prostate cancer

The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology has launched the ASPIRE trial-a large-scale, Phase III clinical study investigating whether adding chemotherapy to current standard treatments can extend survival for men living with advanced prostate cancer.

6 Oct 2025

Molecular profiling identifies prostate cancer patients who benefit most from chemotherapy

Testing the molecular profile of tumors identifies which patients with advanced prostate cancer are more likely to benefit from chemotherapy and live longer, sparing patients less likely to benefit from unpleasant side effects, according to a new study led by UCL researchers.

28 Aug 2025

Starfish compound overcomes drug resistance in prostate cancer models

Researchers identified that triterpene glycosides from the starfish Solaster pacificus can kill drug-resistant prostate cancer cells in vitro by bypassing common resistance pathways. CuC1 showed synergy with existing chemotherapies, though with only moderate selectivity for cancer cells.

5 Aug 2025

Study identifies why some prostate cancers fail to respond to treatment

A new study from University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center researchers identifies a cellular signature that explains why about one-third of prostate cancers respond especially poorly to treatment.

8 Jul 2025

Organ chip technology accurately predicts chemotherapy response in esophageal adenocarcinoma patients

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), one of two major forms of esophageal cancer, is the sixth most deadly cancer worldwide for which no effective targeted therapy exists.

27 Jun 2025

New DNA test predicts chemotherapy resistance in cancer patients

Cancer Research UK-funded scientists at the University of Cambridge, in collaboration with the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) and Cambridge-based startup Tailor Bio, have created a test which can successfully predict whether cancer will resist common forms of chemotherapy treatment.

23 Jun 2025

THP regimen achieves high response rates in HER2 positive breast cancer patients

Patients with Stage II and III (early-stage) HER2+ breast cancer usually undergo pre-operative therapy with multi-agent chemotherapy in combination with anti-HER2 antibodies, followed by surgery.

2 Jun 2025

Adjuvant anthracycline- plus taxane-based chemotherapy regimen improves survival in high-risk breast cancer patients

Patients with early-stage, node-negative, hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2- negative breast cancer who have a high risk of recurrence based on the OncotypeDX genomic test had better outcomes when treated with adjuvant anthracycline- plus taxane-based chemotherapy regimens compared with those receiving adjuvant taxane-based chemotherapy regimens alone, according to results presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), held December 10-13, 2024.

14 Dec 2024

Novel bladder cancer treatment gains MHRA approval in the UK

Johnson & Johnson has announced that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has granted marketing authorization for BALVERSA®▼ (erdafitinib) as a monotherapy for the treatment of adults with unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC), the most common form of bladder cancer.

9 Nov 2024

Extrachromosomal DNA in more aggressive cancers could be targets for future therapies

Research published in Nature Genetics on Oct.14, by Yale Cancer Center researchers at Yale School of Medicine, found a higher concentration of a specific kind of DNA — extrachromosomal or ecDNA — in more aggressive and advanced cancers that could mark them as targets for future therapies.

15 Oct 2024

Pre-surgery chemotherapy shows promise for preserving vital organs in nasal and sinus cancer

Results from a clinical trial by the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (ECOG-ACRIN) show a striking improvement for patients who received chemotherapy before surgery to remove advanced squamous cell-type cancer of the nose or sinus.

11 Sep 2024