Nab-paclitaxel vs paclitaxel liposome for advanced breast cancer: real-world efficacy and safety analysis

The incidence and mortality rates of breast cancer are increasing globally every year. Paclitaxel is one of the most widely used chemotherapeutic agents for solid tumors. Conducting studies in the real world is of great clinical importance and research value. This study evaluates the application and efficacy of different types of paclitaxel in patients with advanced breast cancer. A retrospective cohort study was conducted. For effectiveness, we focused on objective response rate (ORR), Disease Control Rate (DCR), and progression-free survival (PFS). For safety, we focused on the incidence of adverse events (ARE). The Kaplan-Meier survival function, and COX proportional risk regression model were used for data processing and analysis. Nab-paclitaxel DCR was significantly higher than paclitaxel liposome (<i>p</i> = 0.023). Paclitaxel liposomes PFS was significantly longer than nab-paclitaxel (<i>p</i> = 0.0276). Paclitaxel liposomes had a significantly higher incidence of all grades of ARE and tertiary or higher neutropenia than nab-paclitaxel. Neurotoxicity was significantly higher with nab-paclitaxel. Nab-paclitaxel or paclitaxel liposomes remain significantly effective in patients with advanced breast cancer who have failed first or multiline therapy. Nab-paclitaxel is superior to paclitaxel liposome in efficacy evaluation, paclitaxel liposome is superior to nab-paclitaxel in survival outcome.