Reactions to Taxol are very common. The drug itself causes an allergic reaction in many people, as does the agent (called cremaphor) which is added to the Taxol to dissolve it so that it can be given into the vein.

In order to reduce the chances of reaction, every patient who has Taxol needs a pre-medication of several drugs, including steroids, before each dose of Taxol is given. Unlike many other drugs, Taxol can often be continued even if there has been an allergic reaction, depending on how severe the initial reaction was. In most cases if it was only a mild reaction, the course of Taxol can be completed by increasing the doses of the steroids in the pre-medication and by giving the Taxol infusion more slowly over a longer time. However if the reaction is more severe it may be necessary to stop the Taxol.

If your mother and her doctors feel that the reaction was too severe and that it is better to stop the Taxol, it is unlikely that they would want to replace it with another drug. A large trial of over 2000 women recently found that giving carboplatin alone was as effective as giving it with Taxol. Although the results of this trial are not yet accepted by all doctors as standard practice and that is why your mother was given Taxol together with the carboplatin. Your mother would not be having sub-standard treatment if she continues with just the carboplatin.

Your mother's doctors will consider her particular situation, taking into account how advanced her tumour is, how well she is generally, and any other medical conditions she has, before discussing with her the risks and benefits of stopping the Taxol or replacing it with another drug.