What is the most important information I should know about Docetaxel Injection?

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The chance of death in people who receive Docetaxel Injection is higher if you:

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have liver problems

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receive high doses of Docetaxel Injection

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have non-small cell lung cancer and have been treated with chemotherapy medicines that contain platinum

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Docetaxel Injection can affect your blood cells. Your healthcare provider should do routine blood tests during treatment with Docetaxel Injection. This will include regular checks of your white blood cell counts. If your white blood cells are too low, your healthcare provider may not treat you with Docetaxel Injection until you have enough white blood cells. People with low white blood cell counts can develop life-threatening infections. The earliest sign of infection may be fever. Follow your healthcare provider's instructions for how often to take your temperature during treatment with Docetaxel Injection. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have a fever.

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Swelling (inflammation) of the small intestine and colon. This can happen at any time during treatment and could lead to death as early as the first day you get symptoms. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you develop new or worse symptoms of intestinal problems, including stomach (abdominal) pain or tenderness or diarrhea, with or without fever.

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Severe allergic reactions are medical emergencies that can happen in people who receive Docetaxel Injection and can lead to death. You may be at higher risk of developing a severe allergic reaction to Docetaxel Injection if you are allergic to paclitaxel. Your healthcare provider will monitor you closely for allergic reactions during your Docetaxel Injection infusion.
Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these signs of a severe allergic reaction:

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trouble breathing

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sudden swelling of your face, lips, tongue, throat, or trouble swallowing

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hives (raised bumps), rash, or redness all over your body

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Your body may hold too much fluid (severe fluid retention) during treatment with Docetaxel Injection. This can be life threatening. To decrease the chance of this happening, you must take another medicine, a corticosteroid, before each Docetaxel Injection treatment. You must take the corticosteroid exactly as your healthcare provider tells you. Tell your healthcare provider or nurse before your Docetaxel Injection treatment if you forgot to take your corticosteroid dose or do not take it as your healthcare provider tells you. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have swelling in your legs or feet, weight gain or shortness of breath.

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Risk of new cancers. An increase in new (second) cancers has happened in people treated with Docetaxel Injection together with certain other anticancer treatments. This includes certain blood cancers, such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL), and kidney cancer.

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Changes in blood counts due to leukemia and other blood disorders may occur years after treatment with Docetaxel Injection.

 

Your healthcare provider will check you for new cancers during and after your treatment with Docetaxel Injection.

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Severe skin problems.
Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these signs of a severe skin reaction:

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redness and swelling of your arms and legs.

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blistering, peeling, or bleeding on any part of your skin (including your lips, eyes, mouth, nose, genitals, hands or feet) with or without a rash. You may also have flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, or muscle aches.

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red, scaly rash all over your body with blisters, small red or white bumps under the skin that contain pus (pustules), and fever.