Docetaxel (as generic or with trade name Taxotere) is a clinically well established anti-mitotic chemotherapy medication (that is, it interferes with cell division). It is used mainly for the treatment of breast, ovarian, prostate, and non-small cell lung cancer. Docetaxel has an FDA approved claim for treatment of patients who have locally advanced, or metastatic breast or non small-cell lung cancer who have undergone anthracycline-based chemotherapy and failed to stop cancer progression or relapsed. and a European approval for use in hormone-refractory prostate cancer.

According to a 2005 article in the journal Drugs, docetaxel administered as a one-hour infusion every three weeks generally over a ten cycle course, docetaxel is considered as or more effective than doxorubicin, paclitaxel and fluorouracil as a cytotoxic antimicrotubule agent.[dubious – discuss] However the effectiveness of Docetaxel vs. Paclitaxel and other taxenes is still controversial. Several more recent articles have found "no evidence that regimens containing docetaxel yield greater benefits than those including paclitaxel." Additionally, the optimal scheduling of docetaxel and other taxenes remains unconfirmed. A three-week administration schedule used to be and is still considered effected but new studies are indicating a weekly schedule might be better. A 2010 article in Current Clinical Pharmacology states, "weekly administration has emerged as the optimal schedule." Docetaxel is marketed worldwide under the name Taxotere by Sanofi-Aventis. Annual sales in 2010 were Euro 2.122 billion ($US 3.1 billion). Patent expired in 2010.[citation needed]

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