Hemiparesis during Initial Systemic Therapy for Breast Cancer

Docetaxel (DTX) is a standard chemotherapy agent used to treat breast cancer, with peripheral neuropathy being one of its major adverse effects.

We report a case of a cervical spinal cord tumor in a 62-year-old woman that developed during DTX treatment for breast cancer, requiring differentiation from DTX-induced peripheral neuropathy. The patient, diagnosed with cT2N0M0 Stage IIA breast cancer, was scheduled for four cycles of epirubicin/cyclophosphamide therapy followed by four cycles of DTX. After the first cycle of DTX, she developed progressively worsening numbness in both upper and lower limbs and pain in the right lower limb. By the second cycle, hemiparesis in the right upper and lower limbs made walking difficult. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a cervical spinal cord tumor, which was confirmed as a meningioma upon pathological examination.

Following tumor resection, the patient regained the ability to walk normally. Currently, at 8 months post-surgery, only mild numbness persists in both limbs.