The short answer
Paclitaxel is a type of chemotherapy called a taxane. It interferes with the tiny internal 'scaffolding' (microtubules) that cells need to divide, which stops cancer cells from multiplying. It is used to help treat breast cancer, ovarian cancer, lung cancer, and other cancers, and is usually given as an IV infusion. Like all cancer medicines it can cause side effects; this page explains the common ones and the warning signs to report. It is educational only and not a substitute for your care team's advice.
Paclitaxel is the generic name of this medicine.
It is a type of chemotherapy called a taxane — it interferes with the tiny internal 'scaffolding' (microtubules) that cells need to divide, which stops cancer cells from multiplying.
It is used to help treat breast cancer, ovarian cancer, lung cancer, and other cancers.
It is usually given as an IV infusion.
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The full explanation.
A taxane that jams the cell's moving parts
Inside every cell there is a set of tiny fibers called microtubules. They pull the chromosomes apart when a cell divides. They have to build up and break down again for that to work.
Paclitaxel locks them in place. The fibers cannot take themselves apart, so division stalls and the cell dies. The drug is extracted from yew trees.
The pre-medicines you get before every dose
This is the part that surprises people. Before each paclitaxel infusion you are given other drugs first.
The label describes a steroid such as dexamethasone by mouth, usually about 12 hours and again 6 hours before the dose. Then, 30 to 60 minutes before, an antihistamine and a stomach-acid blocker into the vein.
These are not optional extras. They are there to stop a severe allergic reaction to the infusion. Take the steroid tablets at home exactly on time. If you vomit them or forget them, phone the unit before you travel in, because the infusion may need to be moved.
What the boxed warning says
Paclitaxel carries an FDA boxed warning with three parts.
First, severe allergic reactions. Breathlessness, low blood pressure, swelling and hives occurred in 2% to 4% of people in the trials. Some reactions were fatal even in people who had the pre-medicines. Anyone who has a severe reaction should not be given the drug again.
Second, blood counts. It should not be given to a person with a solid tumor whose neutrophil count is below 1,500 cells per cubic millimeter, or below 1,000 for AIDS-related Kaposi sarcoma. Counts are checked often, because the marrow suppression can be severe and lead to infection.
Third, it should only be used by a team experienced with chemotherapy, in a place equipped to treat those complications.
Speak up during the infusion itself
Particles of paclitaxel will not dissolve in water, so the liquid is carried in a castor-oil-based solvent and alcohol. Much of the allergy risk is thought to come from that carrier rather than the drug.
Tell the nurse straight away about a flushing face, a tight chest, back pain, dizziness, or a feeling that something is simply wrong. Staff can stop the drip in seconds and treat it. Do not wait to see whether it passes.
Which cancers the label covers
- Ovarian cancer. First-line with cisplatin, or as later treatment for advanced disease.
- Breast cancer. After surgery for node-positive disease, following a doxorubicin-based regimen. Also for breast cancer that has progressed after combination chemotherapy for spread disease, or came back within six months of adjuvant treatment.
- Non-small cell lung cancer. First-line with cisplatin, for people who are not candidates for surgery or radiation aimed at cure.
- AIDS-related Kaposi sarcoma. As second-line treatment.
Numb hands and feet
Paclitaxel damages the small nerves in the fingers and toes. It usually starts as tingling or pins and needles, then numbness. Some people find buttons, keys and coins get hard to manage, or the floor feels strange underfoot.
Report it as soon as it starts, not when it is bad. Dose changes are the main way to stop it getting worse, and they work better early. For many people it fades after treatment ends. For some it does not fully go.
Hair loss is very common with this drug, including body hair. Muscle and joint aches for two or three days after each dose are also usual.
Fever after a dose is an emergency
Paclitaxel's boxed warning is explicit that marrow suppression can be severe and lead to infection, which is why counts are checked so often. If your temperature reaches 100.4 °F (38 °C) or higher, the threshold the CDC gives during cancer treatment, treat it as urgent. Call your oncology team straight away, whatever the hour, and go to an emergency department if you cannot reach them quickly. Say that you are on chemotherapy when you arrive, because it changes how fast you are seen. Do not take paracetamol or another fever reducer first and wait to see if it works. Chills or shaking, breathlessness, or feeling suddenly very unwell warrant calling 911.
Not the same as albumin-bound paclitaxel
There is a second form of this drug, bound to a protein called albumin and sold as Abraxane. It is a different product with its own label, its own dose and its own infusion routine. Reading about one and applying it to the other will mislead you. Check which one is on your treatment plan.
Sources
- https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=ea28753a-8631-460a-bfdc-b101eb8ac84a
- https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=24d10449-2936-4cd3-b7db-a7683db721e4
- https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/drugs/paclitaxel
- https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/side-effects/infection
Words to know
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Common questions
What is Paclitaxel?
Paclitaxel is a type of chemotherapy called a taxane. It interferes with the tiny internal 'scaffolding' (microtubules) that cells need to divide, which stops cancer cells from multiplying. It is used to help treat breast cancer, ovarian cancer, lung cancer, and other cancers.
How is Paclitaxel given?
It is usually given as an IV infusion. It is given as an intravenous (IV) infusion — a slow drip into a vein — at a clinic or hospital, usually repeated on a schedule of cycles with rest periods in between. The exact schedule is set by your care team.
What are the common side effects of Paclitaxel?
Commonly reported side effects include hair loss, numbness or tingling in the hands and feet, tiredness, low blood counts, and muscle or joint aches. Not everyone gets them, and many can be managed. Tell your care team about anything new or worsening.
Does Paclitaxel cure cancer?
That depends on the person, the cancer type, and its stage. For some people a medicine like this can control cancer for a long time or be part of a curative plan; for others the goal is to slow the cancer or ease symptoms. Your care team can explain the goal in your situation.
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Sources last checked: 2026-08-13 what this meansLast updated: 2026-08-20Next planned review: 2027-01-14
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How this page was created
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes. We do not employ clinicians and do not intend to — our work is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Editorial review complete — This page completed Cancer Explained's editorial checks (sources, safety, plain language, duplication). It has not been reviewed by a physician or other healthcare professional.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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