Patients with early breast cancer appear to gain more benefit when docetaxel is added to standard chemotherapy than they do with standard chemotherapy alone, according to new data presented at the 22nd San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium [San Antonio, US; December 1999]. In the study, women with locally advanced or large primary breast cancer received induction therapy with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (CVAP). Patients who responded to induction therapy were then randomised to receive docetaxel or CVAP, followed by surgery, while nonresponders received docetaxel, followed by surgery.