Abstract: ObjectiveTo analyze the efficacy and safety of paclitaxel liposomal and docetaxel for the neoadjuvant chemotherapy of breast cancer. MethodsThe clinical data of 174 operable patients with breast cancer who received the neoadjuvant chemotherapy were analyzed. According to the treatment regimens， all patients were divided into the group of paclitaxel liposome (n=87) and group of docetaxel (n=87). All the patients received a combination therapy with epirubicin and cyclophosphamide， neoadjuvant chemotherapy for 6 cycles with 21 days as a course. Surgery was carried out three weeks after the end of chemotherapy， and the chemotherapy efficacy and adverse reaction of two groups were evaluated. ResultsPathological complete remission in paclitaxel liposome group and docetaxel group was 10.3％（9/87） and  9.2％（8/87）， respectively; the objective response rate was 80.5％（70/87） and  79.3％（69/87）， respectively; and the disease control rate was 95.4％（83/87）and  93.1％（81/87）， respectively; there was no significant difference in therapy efficacy between two groups (P＞0.05). Safety analysis indicated that all the occurrence rates of skin and nail toxic reaction， body fluid retention， oral mucositis， allergic reaction (such as facial blushing chest distress， palpitation and dyspnea)， grade ⅢⅣ leukopenia and neutropenia in paclitaxel liposome group were significantly lower than those of  docetaxel group (P＜0.05). ConclusionCompared with docetaxel， paclitaxel liposome has the same antitumor efficacy with fewer and milder adverse reactions and a higher safety in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Key words: breast neoplasms；drug therapy, combination； paclitaxel liposome；docetaxel；treatment outcome