Docetaxel, doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (the TAC regimen): an effective adjuvant treatment for operable breast cancer.

The introduction of taxanes in the armamentarium against breast cancer in the 1990s has been one of the landmarks in the treatment of this disease. Docetaxel in particular is considered one of the most active cytotoxic agents in metastatic breast cancer and has also been tested as adjuvant postsurgical therapy in earlier stages. A regimen including docetaxel, doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (the TAC regimen) was the first combination that demonstrated the efficacy of docetaxel in the adjuvant setting. This combination has been approved by regulatory agencies for adjuvant therapy of node-positive breast cancer and is presently used worldwide. TAC is more toxic than the traditional anthracycline-containing combinations, but many of its side effects can be ameliorated with colony-stimulating growth factor support.