A Multicenter, Prospective, Observational Study to Evaluate Ethanol-Induced Symptoms in Patients Receiving Docetaxel Chemotherapy
Authors
Young-Woong Won ; Jin-Hyoung Kang ; Jung Hye Kwon ; Dong-Hoe Koo ; Jung Hun Kang ; Chi Hoon Maeng ; Hee Kyung Ahn ; Sung Yong Oh ; Dae-Won Lee ; Joohyuk Sohn ; So Yeon Oh ; Kyung Hee Lee ; Su-Jin Koh ; Keun Seok Lee ; Chan-Kyu Kim ; Ji-Yeon Kim ; Jun Ho Ji ; Sung-Bae Kim ; Joo Young Ha ; Ho Young Kim
Citation
CANCER RESEARCH AND TREATMENT, Vol.55(4) : 1096-1103, 2023-10
Purpose Several previous studies and case reports have reported ethanol-induced symptoms in patients receiving anticancer drugs containing ethanol. Most docetaxel formulations contain ethanol as a solvent. However, there are insufficient data on ethanol-induced symptoms when docetaxel-containing ethanol is administered. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency and pattern of ethanol-induced symptoms during and after docetaxel administration. The secondary purpose was to explore the risk factors for ethanol-induced symptoms.
Materials and Methods This was a prospective, multicenter, observational study. The participants filled out ethanol-induced symptom questionnaire on the day of chemotherapy and the following day.
Results Data from 451 patients were analyzed. The overall occurrence rate of ethanol-induced symptoms was 44.3% (200/451 patients). The occurrence rate of facial flushing was highest at 19.7% (89/451 patients), followed by nausea in 18.2% (82/451 patients), and dizziness in 17.5% (79/451 patients). Although infrequent, unsteady walking and impaired balance occurred in 4.2% and 3.3% of patients, respectively. Female sex, presence of underlying disease, younger age, docetaxel dose, and docetaxel-containing ethanol amount were significantly associated with the occurrence of ethanol-induced symptoms.
Conclusion The occurrence of ethanol-induced symptoms was not low in patients receiving docetaxel-containing ethanol. Physicians need to pay more attention to the occurrence of ethanol-induced symptoms and prescribe ethanol-free or low-ethanol-containing formulations to high-risk patients.