Paclitaxel Therapeutic Drug Monitoring in Cancer Patients

Primary Objective:

• Determine the feasibility of monitoring paclitaxel serum drug levels in patients with a solid tumor (e.g. lung, breast, and gynecologic cancers) for which Paclitaxel is the standard of care.

Secondary Objectives:

• Compare Paclitaxel serum drug levels among patients with differing degrees of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy at the end of Paclitaxel treatment.
• Compare mitochondrial function within circulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells among patients with differing degrees of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy at the end of Paclitaxel treatment.
• Compare the ability of pulsed electromagnetic field to modulate immune cells of individuals experiencing differing degrees of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy at the end of Paclitaxel treatment.

Inclusion criteria

• Male or female sex
• Age ≥ 18 years at time of consent
• Individuals receiving treatment at the Wake Forest Comprehensive Cancer Center who are anticipated to receive paclitaxel for curative or palliative intent, with or without surgery and/or radiation (i.e. neoadjuvant, adjuvant, or in the setting of recurrent or metastatic disease) as per decision with their medical oncologist for the following malignancies and dosing regimens:
• Invasive breast cancer (any HER2 and ER/PR status)
• Patients considered for curative or palliative chemotherapy with paclitaxel 80-175 mg/m2 with or without doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, carboplatin, trastuzumab, bevacizumab, or pertuzumab

Cervical cancer • Patients considered for curative or palliative chemotherapy with paclitaxel 135-175 mg/m2 with or without cisplatin, carboplatin, topotecan, or bevacizumab

Non-small cell lung cancer

• Patients considered for curative or palliative chemotherapy with paclitaxel 45-200 mg/m2 with or without carboplatin, cisplatin, bevacizumab, atezolizumab, or pembrolizumab

Ovarian cancer • Patients considered for curative or palliative chemotherapy with paclitaxel 60-175 mg/m2 with or without carboplatin, cisplatin, ifosfamide, gemcitabine, pazopanib, or bevacizumab

Uterine neoplasms

• Patients considered for curative or palliative chemotherapy with paclitaxel 135-175 mg/m2 with or without carboplatin, cisplatin, doxorubicin, ifosfamide, bevacizumab, or trastuzumab

Vulvar cancer (squamous cell carcinoma)

• Patients considered for curative or palliative chemotherapy with paclitaxel 60-175 mg/m2 with or without cisplatin, carboplatin, or bevacizumab
• Ability to understand and the willingness to sign an IRB-approved informed consent document
• Patients with prior radiation treatment or surgery will not be disqualified from enrollment into the study, unless the aforementioned interventions resulted in peripheral neuropathy as a complication

Exclusion criteria

• Prior treatment with PTX, for any duration or indication
• Prior treatment with neurotoxic chemotherapy including any taxane, vinca alkaloid, platinum-containing agent, bortezomib, or thalidomide that has resulted in clinical symptoms of persistent, CTCAE grade II or higher peripheral neuropathy
• Concurrent enrollment in a clinical study of a neuroprotective intervention at the time of study initiation
• Any contraindication to PTX (e.g. history of allergic reaction to paclitaxel or Kolliphor EL)
• Current signs or symptoms of peripheral neuropathy at the time of enrollment, e.g. due to diabetes, HIV, or other conditions
• Known personal or family history of hereditary peripheral neuropathy (e.g. Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease)