Incidence and clinical characteristics of taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy requiring treatment in patients with breast cancer.

IntroductionTaxane-induced peripheral neuropathy (TIPN) is a debilitating side effect of taxane chemotherapy. However, real-world studies on TIPN requiring treatment are limited. This study evaluated the incidence, characteristics, and outcomes of TIPN requiring treatment in patients with breast cancer.MethodsA retrospective study was conducted at King Hussein Cancer Center and included adult patients with breast cancer treated with taxane-based chemotherapy regimens from January 2023 to August 2025. Patients who developed TIPN requiring pain medications were identified. Baseline characteristics, taxane related data, onset of TIPN requiring treatment, clinical outcomes, and pain management strategies were assessed using descriptive analysis.ResultsAmong 1353 patients, 201 (15.0%) developed TIPN requiring treatment. The mean age was 54 years (SD ± 10.5). Among these patients, 135 (67.2%) received docetaxel and 66 (32.8%) received paclitaxel. Early-stage breast cancer was reported in 133 (66.0%) patients, while 68 (34.0%) had metastatic disease. TIPN requiring treatment occurred most frequently after the third cycle with docetaxel (n = 104, 77.0%), and after the fifth cycle with paclitaxel (n = 30, 45.5%). TIPN requiring treatment resulted in emergency department visits in 16 (8.0%) patients, chemotherapy dose reductions in 63 (31.3%), treatment discontinuation in 23 (11.4%), and cycle delays in 3 (1.5%) patients. Initial pharmacologic management consisted of gabapentin monotherapy (80.0%), duloxetine monotherapy (10.5%), and combination of gabapentin and duloxetine (7.0%).ConclusionsDuring the study period, TIPN requiring treatment affected one- in- seven patients with breast cancer and resulted in significant treatment modifications, highlighting opportunities for proactive management strategies to improve patient care and safety.