Disease × agent evidence record

Docetaxel for Cancer: evidence, trials and status

Docetaxel has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Cancer. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit.

8 registered trials 0 recruiting 20 publications Evidence tier A · Strong Score 69.0
Research Tracker › Pairs › Cancer › Docetaxel
Research map, not treatment advice. This page aggregates registry and literature records. It does not evaluate efficacy, dosing or safety for any individual. Discuss any treatment decision with a qualified clinician.

Summary

Docetaxel has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Cancer would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Cancer. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 8 registered trials linking Docetaxel to Cancer: 1 is active or not yet recruiting; 3 have completed; 4 are terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 2 (NCT02947061). It plans or enrolled 300 participants. Registration activity spans 2003 to 2021. The literature layer holds 20 publications for this pair: 5 Cochrane reviews, 5 meta-analyses, 2 systematic reviews, 3 randomised controlled trial publications and 5 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 2025 to 2026. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.

The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Cancer ranks 1226 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Spontaneous regression is rare (<0.5% of cases); 5-year survival without treatment: <5% for advanced NSCLC; ~20% for stage I-II with surgery.

Open in Repurposing ExplorerCancer hubChEMBLOpen Targets

Evidence table

Evidence tierA · Strong
Evidence score69.0 (trials 19.0, literature 30.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0)
Registered trials8 total: 0 recruiting, 1 active / not yet recruiting, 3 completed, 4 other
Linked publications20 (5 Cochrane reviews, 5 meta-analyses, 5 clinical trial publications, 3 randomised controlled trial publications, 2 systematic reviews)
Agent typeDrug (Small molecule)
Development stage (any indication)Approved
Mechanism / classNot recorded
Data sourcesOpen Targets, ChEMBL
How the evidence score is calculated
  • Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
  • Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
  • The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
  • Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
  • The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.

Registered clinical trials

NCT IDTitleStatusPhaseEnrolment
NCT03517969M6620 and Carboplatin With or Without Docetaxel in Treating Patients With Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
2019
active, not recruitingPhase 273
NCT05005728XmAb®20717 (Vudalimab) Alone or in Combination With Chemotherapy or Targeted Therapy in Patients With Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
2021
completedPhase 272
NCT03228186Trial of Pevonedistat Plus Docetaxel in Patients With Previously Treated Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
2018
terminatedPhase 240
NCT00155883Bi-Weekly Docetaxel Plus 24-Hour Infusion of High-Dose 5-Fluorouracil / Leucovorin (HDFL) for Inoperable Advanced or Metastatic Gastric Cancer
2004
terminatedPhase 254
NCT02947061S1 Plus Docetaxel Versus Capecitabine Plus Docetaxel First-line Treatment in Patients With Advanced Breast Cancer
2015
status unknownPhase 2300
NCT00755157Metronomic Docetaxel and Bevacizumab in Patients With Small Cell Lung Cancer
2008
withdrawnPhase 2—
NCT00073866Combination Chemotherapy and Celecoxib in Treating Patients With Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
2003
completedPHASE1, PHASE2—
NCT03873272The CONTRoL Trial: Cryotherapy vs. cOmpression Neuropathy TRiaL
2019
completedNot applicable63

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Published literature

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Mechanism and notes

No mechanism of action is recorded for this pair in the source databases.

OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in Open Targets and ChEMBL. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.

Frequently asked questions

Is Docetaxel approved for Cancer?

Docetaxel has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Cancer would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Cancer. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.

Is Docetaxel in clinical trials for Cancer?

ClinicalTrials.gov lists 8 registered trials linking Docetaxel to Cancer: 1 is active or not yet recruiting; 3 have completed; 4 are terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 2 (NCT02947061). It plans or enrolled 300 participants. Registration activity spans 2003 to 2021.

What does the evidence show for Docetaxel in Cancer?

Docetaxel has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Cancer. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in Open Targets and ChEMBL. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.

Cite this page

Open Source Medicine Foundation. Docetaxel for Cancer: evidence, trials and status. OSMF Research Tracker. Updated 2026-07-05. https://research.opensourcemed.info/pairs/cancer/docetaxel.html

Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.

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This is a research map, not treatment advice. Evidence tiers and scores summarise what has been studied, not whether a treatment works or is safe for you.