The Institute is currently reviewing the guidance it issued on the use of Taxanes in 2000. (Ovarian Cancer – May 2000 and Breast Cancer June 2000).

The Institute’s Guidance Executive met 10 April 2001 to consider the revised evidence base and determine whether it had changed sufficiently to warrant a request to the Appraisal Committee to review the original guidance. At this meeting the Guidance Executive concluded:

Ovarian Cancer

• The results of the ICON 3 study will form a large part of the evidence base supporting a review of the ovarian cancer guidance. The review date was determined in significant part on the basis that the results of this study would be available to inform any review.
• The status of the ICON 3 trial supplied to the Institute by the MRC is currently being clarified. Until clarification is received from the MRC, it would be inappropriate for the evidence to be reviewed by the Appraisal Committee. The Institute proposes therefore to suspend the review of the use of the Taxanes in Ovarian Cancer Guidance until this time
• The Institute’s existing guidance for the use of Taxanes in Ovarian Cancer will therefore continue to apply.

Breast Cancer

• There is sufficient new evidence to justify a review of the current guidance on the use of the Taxanes in Breast Cancer.
• There is no reason to suspend the review of the Institute’s Breast Cancer Guidance whilst the uncertainty surrounding the evidence base for ovarian cancer is resolved.
• Because the updated assessment report was commissioned as a combined (breast and ovarian) document, it will be necessary to split it. The Review Group will be asked to prepare a revised report on the updated evidence base for breast cancer alone. The need to split the report will delay its receipt by the Institute. This revised document will be submitted to the Institute on the 27 April 2001.
• This Assessment Report will be considered by the Guidance Executive at its meeting on 1 May 2001 with a view to referring the topic to the Institute’s Appraisal Committee at its meeting on the 22 May 2001.