Anaerobic bacteraemia could be a life-threatening condition in neutropenic patients receiving chemotherapy. Taxane therapy is associated with necrotising inflammation of the caecum (named also typhlitis) that could be a potential source for bacteraemia. We report the case of a sudden onset of septic shock by Clostridium perfringens in a young patient treated with docetaxel as adjuvant chemotherapy for early breast cancer. A mini-review of the literature has been performed.
Keywords: breast cancer; docetaxel; neutropenia; septic shock.