Risk factors for pain after mastectomy/lumpectomy

PURPOSE: Careful study of fisk factors that predispose and individual to de veloping postmastectomy pain (PMP) after breast cancer surgery has not been reported. This study examined potential risk factors for PMP including dem ographic, disease, and treatment variables, as well as surgical factors, su ch as surgical technique and number of lymph nodes removed. DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY: Data were collected via telephone interviews and review of medical records. Pain was assessed using the Brief Pain Inventory . The sample included 134 breast cancer survivors who were a mean age of 55 years (SD = 9) and a mean of 35 months postsurgery (SD = 19). RESULTS: Women with PMP (n = 36) were not significantly different from wome n without PMP (n = 98) on demographic, disease, treatment, or surgical vari ables. PMP intensity was not significantly associated with age at diagnosis , time postsurgery, or time posttreatment. Contrary to expectation, PMP was found in women postlumpectomy without axillary dissection, women whose int ercostobrachial nerve was spared, and women without documented postoperativ e complications. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Findings suggest that cases of PMP cannot uniformly be identified based on the presence or absence of certain factors. Findings also underscore the need to screen all women for PMP after breast cancer s urgery, particularly given the availability of effective pain management th erapies.