Guidelines for Complications of Cancer Treatment Vol VIII Part B

26. Pain and other symptoms during the first yearafter radical and conservative surgery for breastcancer.Tasmuth T, von Smitten K, Kalso E. Br J Cancer. 1996Dec;74(12):2024-31.This study assessed pain, neurological symptoms, oedema ofthe ipsilateral arm, anxiety and depression occurring in womentreated surgically for breast cancer, the impact of thesesymptoms on daily life and how they evolved during the 1year follow-up. Ninety-three consecutive patients with nonmetastasizedbreast cancer who were treated during 1993-94were examined before surgery and after 1, 6 and 12 months.They were asked about pain, neurological symptoms andoedema in the breast scar region and/or ipsilateral arm. Sensorytesting was performed, and gripping force and thecircumference of the arm were measured. Anxiety anddepression were evaluated. One year after surgery, 80% ofthe women had treatment-related symptoms in the breast scarregion and virtually all patients had symptoms in the ipsilateralarm. The incidence of chronic post-treatment pain was higherafter conservative surgery than after radical surgery (breastarea: 33% vs 17%, NS; ipsilateral arm: 23% vs 13%, NS).Numbness occurred in 75% and oedema of the ipsilateral armin over 30% of the patients after both radical and conservativesurgery. Phantom sensations in the breast were reported by25% of the patients. No difference in psychic morbidity wasdetected after the two types of surgery. Both the anxiety anddepression scores were highest before surgery, decreasing withtime, and were significantly correlated with preoperativestressful events.PMID: 8980408 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]34