Colitis may result from chemotherapy with docetaxel, according to Dr Nuhad Ibrahim (department of breast medical oncology, University of Texas, US) and colleagues. They report six cases of ischaemic colitis associated with docetaxel-based therapy in clinical trial patients (Lancet 2000;355:281).
Three patients receiving docetaxel and vinorelbine developed colitis-like symptoms and two died as a result. The other three patients were treated with docetaxel, docetaxel and pamidronate disodium or docetaxel and cyclophosphamide. Onset of symptoms was early in chemotherapy, the median day of onset being day eight. Symptoms such as acute abdominal pain, direct or rebound tenderness, fever and diarrhoea should alert physicians to the possibility of such conditions, the researchers say.