Paclitaxel Dosing

If your healthcare provider has prescribed paclitaxel, dosing recommendations will be based on several factors, including the type of cancer you have, your weight and height, and other chemotherapy medications you may be taking. Conditions like liver disease can also affect dosing. Before your paclitaxel dose is administered, your healthcare provider will usually "premedicate" you with certain medicines to help prevent allergic reactions.

Paclitaxel Chemotherapy Cancer Treatment

An Introduction to Paclitaxel Dosing

The dose of paclitaxel (Taxol^®) that your healthcare provider recommends will vary, depending on a number of factors, including:

The type of cancer being treated
Your height and weight
Other medications you may be taking
Other medical conditions you may have.

As is always the case, do not adjust your paclitaxel dose unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.

Paclitaxel Dosing for Cancer

Your healthcare provider will base your paclitaxel dose on your body surface area (which is calculated using your height and weight). Your specific dose will vary, depending on the type of cancer, the other chemotherapy medications you are taking, and whether you develop bothersome or dangerous paclitaxel side effects. Your dose may also change if you have liver disease, including liver failure or cirrhosis.

Usually, you will need to be "premedicated" with medicines before each paclitaxel dose in order to prevent allergic reactions. Typically, these medications include dexamethasone (Deltasone^®), diphenhydramine (Benadryl^®), cimetidine (Tagamet^®), or similar medications.

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