nab-Paclitaxel in patients with advanced solid tumors and hepatic dysfunction: a pilot study

This pilot open-label clinical study evaluated the safety and pharmacokinetics of albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel) in patients with advanced solid tumors and hepatic dysfunction.Dosing was determined according to baseline bilirubin levels as described in the package insert for Taxol((R)) (paclitaxel), and patients received 130, 200 or 260 mg/m(2) nab-paclitaxel every 3 weeks.Thirty patients with elevated baseline bilirubin and aspartate aminotransferase levels received nab-paclitaxel. The most commonly-occurring grade 3/4 adverse events were neutropenia and fatigue. Grade 3/4 neutropenia occurred in 10, 30 and 30% of patients receiving 130, 200 and 260 mg/m(2) nab-paclitaxel, respectively. Grade 3 fatigue presented in 50 and 30% patients receiving 130 and 200 mg/m(2) nab-paclitaxel, respectively (no grade 4 event). Only one (10%) patient had a grade 3 sensory neuropathy in the 260 mg/m(2) nab-paclitaxel arm. Treatment-related grade 3 bilirubinemia and elevated aspartate aminotransferase was observed in patients receiving 130 mg/m(2) (30 and 10%, respectively) and 260 mg/m(2) nab-paclitaxel (20 and 10%, respectively). One patient had a grade 4 bilirubinemia in the 200 mg/m(2) nab-paclitaxel arm. Total bilirubin levels were inversely correlated to paclitaxel clearance (p < 0001).nab-Paclitaxel has an acceptable tolerability profile in patients with solid tumors and hepatic dysfunction. The safety and pharmacokinetic results support the same dose modification scheme recommended for cremophor-based paclitaxel.