Chemotherapy Drug May Cause Alcohol Intoxication

The FDA has issued a warning that the intravenous chemotherapy drug docetaxel may cause patients to feel or experience intoxication during and after treatment due to the presence of ethanol in the drug.

A revision to the labels of all docetaxel drug products to warn about this risk has been ordered by the FDA. Docetaxel is indicated for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer, advanced gastric adenocarcinoma, locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer and locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

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Healthcare professionals are advised to consider the presence of ethanol in docetaxel when prescribing or administering the drug to patients, particularly in those whom alcohol intake should be avoided or minimized and when using it in conjunction with other medications.

For more information call (888) 463-6332 or visit FDA.gov.