Generic name
Docetaxel: adverse event reports filed with FDA
59,411 reports list it as a suspect or interacting product, 2004–2026. Class: Microtubule inhibitor. Also reported as Docetaxel Solution For Injection, Inj Docetaxel, Docetaxel Injection.
- 59,411
- reports as suspect product
- 0.3% of all reports · about 2,641 a year
- 3,173
- reports, 12 months to June 2026
- 4,027 in the 12 months before
- 76.9%
- marked serious by the reporter
- 88.7% across the class
- 12.8%
- record death among outcomes, as reported
- 7,611 reports · not verified by FDA
59,411 adverse event reports received by FDA list docetaxel, a generic name as a suspect or interacting product, from January 2004 to June 2026. A further 8,640 reports list it only as a concomitant medication, and those are not counted in the figures on this page.
In the 12 months to June 2026, 3,173 reports listed it, down 21% from 4,027 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Over its reporting history that is about 2,641 reports a year and 0.3% of the 20,646,523 reports in the database, and 40.4% of the reports for the microtubule inhibitor class. How many people take it is not in the data, so a count is not a rate of occurrence.
Reporters most often recorded alopecia (28.4%), madarosis (11.3%) and hair texture abnormal (10.1%). A report can list several reactions, so shares add to more than 100%; 2,818 different terms appear across these reports. Alopecia is recorded in 28.4% of these reports, a larger share than in the median microtubule inhibitor drug (2.3%).
76.9% of the reports are marked serious by the reporter (88.7% across the class); 12.8% record death among the outcomes and 30.1% record hospitalisation, as reported. 33.2% of the reports came from physicians, and the largest patient age group is 45 to 64 (34.7%). FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event."
Reports by month, five years
Reports by the month FDA received them. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases.
By year received
2026 covers reports received through June 2026 only.
Reactions recorded in the reports
share of Docetaxel reports recording the termmedian drug in microtubule inhibitor
- Alopeciahair loss28.4%16,874
- Madarosis11.3%6,720
- Hair texture abnormal10.1%5,993
- Hair colour changes9.9%5,872
- Hair disorder9.5%5,624
- Diarrhoealoose or frequent stools8%4,753
- Emotional distressemotional distress6.1%3,606
- Nauseafeeling sick5.8%3,437
- Anxietyanxiety5.7%3,415
- Neutropenialow neutrophils, a type of white blood cell4.9%2,935
- Fatiguetiredness4.8%2,856
- Febrile neutropeniafever with low white blood cells4.7%2,794
- Vomitingbeing sick4.3%2,526
- Disease progressionthe disease advanced4%2,360
- Malignant neoplasm progression3.8%2,262
- Painpain, site not specified3.6%2,151
- Pyrexiafever3.6%2,150
- Dyspnoeashortness of breath3.5%2,085
- Myelosuppression3.5%2,080
- Off label useused for a purpose or in a way not on the label3.5%2,075
- Anaemialow red blood cells3.3%1,972
- Astheniaweakness or lack of energy3%1,780
- Decreased appetitereduced appetite2.6%1,559
- Neuropathy peripheralnerve damage in hands or feet2.5%1,505
- Drug ineffectivethe medicine did not work as expected2.5%1,475
- Deaththe patient died; cause not stated by this term2.4%1,438
- Injurya physical injury2.4%1,400
- Discomfortdiscomfort2.3%1,337
- Pneumonialung infection2.1%1,240
- Mucosal inflammation2%1,199
Top 30 of 2,818 MedDRA preferred terms recorded across these reports, with a plain-language gloss where one is available. One report can record several terms. The hollow bar is the median share across the 4 drugs in the microtubule inhibitor class; it describes the reports, not the patients. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Outcomes recorded
Outcome flags as the reporter set them; a report can carry several, and "other serious" is FDA's own category for serious reports outside the named outcomes. Grey bar: all 147,067 reports in the class. FDA has not verified any outcome and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence of these events."
Patients and reporters
Patient age
Patient sex
Who reported
Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 40.9% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.
Reason for use recorded
| Indication as recorded (MedDRA) | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Breast cancer | 10,353 | 17.4% |
| Breast cancer female | 4,375 | 7.4% |
| Breast cancer metastatic | 2,825 | 4.8% |
| Prostate cancer | 1,875 | 3.2% |
| Her2 positive breast cancer | 1,438 | 2.4% |
| Non-small cell lung cancer | 1,391 | 2.3% |
The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 59,411 reports.
Drugs most often listed in the same reports
| Drug (any role in the report) | Reports | Share of Docetaxel reports |
|---|---|---|
| Taxotere | 9,601 | 16.2% |
| Trastuzumab | 9,466 | 15.9% |
| Carboplatin | 7,436 | 12.5% |
| Cyclophosphamide | 6,576 | 11.1% |
| Pertuzumab | 5,545 | 9.3% |
| Herceptin | 5,143 | 8.7% |
| Fluorouracil | 5,029 | 8.5% |
| Dexamethasone | 4,855 | 8.2% |
| Cisplatin | 4,613 | 7.8% |
Other products listed in reports where Docetaxel is a suspect product, whatever their own role. Co-listing means the two were recorded together; it says nothing about either product's part in the event. Only the 2,500 most-reported names are counted here.
In context
| Measure | Docetaxel | Microtubule inhibitor | All reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reports as suspect product | 59,411 | 147,067 | 20,646,523 |
| Share of that pool | — | 40.4% | 0.3% |
| Reports, latest 12 months | 3,173 | — | 1,332,454 |
| Marked serious | 76.9% | 88.7% | 57.4% |
| Death recorded among outcomes, per 1,000 reports | 128 | 147 | 91 |
| Hospitalisation recorded, per 1,000 reports | 301 | 374 | 213 |
| Consumer-filed share | 11.7% | 8.6% | 45.8% |
| Top term, share of reports | Alopecia 28.4% | median 2.3% | 0.9% |
Shares are of reports, not of patients treated. The number of people taking a product is not in the data, so none of these figures is a rate, and differences between columns reflect who takes a product, who reports and how long it has been sold. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Other drugs in the microtubule inhibitor class
| Drug | Name type | Reports | Latest 12 months | Marked serious |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paclitaxel | generic | 69,395 | 8,417 | 97.4% |
| Abraxane | brand | 15,105 | 483 | 93.8% |
| Halaven | brand | 3,156 | 66 | 93.1% |
Ordered by report count for navigation only. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic." A brand and its generic are separate rows because reporters name them separately.
Questions about Docetaxel reports
How many adverse event reports has FDA received for Docetaxel?
59,411 reports list Docetaxel as a suspect or interacting product in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through June 2026. 3,173 of them arrived in the latest 12 months. Another 8,640 list it only as a concomitant medication.
What reactions are recorded in Docetaxel reports?
alopecia (28.4%), madarosis (11.3%), hair texture abnormal (10.1%), hair colour changes (9.9%) and hair disorder (9.5%). These are MedDRA preferred terms coded from what the reporter described; a report can list several, and a term's presence is not a finding that Docetaxel was responsible.
How serious are the reports?
76.9% are marked serious by the reporter. Among the outcomes recorded, 12.8% of reports include death and 30.1% include hospitalisation. FDA has not verified these outcomes and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence" of the events.
Who files these reports?
physician (33.2%), other health professional (29%) and lawyer (20.9%). Most reports reach FDA through the manufacturer, which must forward reports it receives.
Are reports for Docetaxel rising?
3,173 reports in the 12 months to June 2026, down 21% from 4,027 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Counts also move with how many people take a product, its time on the market and publicity.
Do these reports show that Docetaxel was responsible for these reactions?
No. FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event." The reaction may relate to the condition being treated, to other medicines, or to something else.
Is this a list of the side effects of Docetaxel?
No. It is a count of what was reported to FDA. The adverse reactions observed in clinical studies are printed on the FDA-approved label, which a pharmacist or clinician can go through with you.
How do I report an adverse event?
Consumers and health professionals can report to FDA through MedWatch (Form FDA 3500 online, or 1-800-FDA-1088), or to the manufacturer, which must pass reports on. See the guide on how to report.
Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Drug Adverse Event (FAERS) bulk export released 28 Sep 2026, which holds reports FDA received through 30 Jun 2026. Drug names are as reported, resolved to the brand or generic name on the FDA label where openFDA's harmonisation matched them; classes are the pharmacologic class (EPC) from the label and the National Drug Code Directory of 17 Sep 2026. A report counts here when it lists Docetaxel as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (8,640) are excluded. No report narrative, lot number, patient detail or reporter identity is published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.
Drug data (FAERS) through 30 Jun 2026; device data (MAUDE) through 31 Aug 2026. Not medical advice.