Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Association of fibromyalgia characteristics in patients with non-metastatic breast cancer and the protective role of resilience

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Rheumatology International Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Cancer patients often complain about weakness, fatigue, and pain. The aim of this study was to assess the features of the fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) characteristics in patients with non-metastatic breast cancer. The study group included 40 women whose age ranged from 40 to 70 years with Stages 0–3 breast cancer. The control group included 40 healthy women matched by age. A diagnosis of FMS was established based on medical history, physical examination, and the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ). Pain measures and functional factors were evaluated by the Brief Pain Inventory and the Sheehan Questionnaire. Resilience was assessed by Antanovsky’s Sense of Coherence Questionnaire. Psychiatric disturbances were tested by the MINI Questionnaire and Hamilton questionnaires for depression and anxiety. The prevalence of chronic pain was higher in the study group. Statistically significant differences were also found between the group regarding pain, fatigue, and functional measures. The prevalence of depressive or anxious mood, measured by the Hamilton questionnaires, was strongly related to FMS characteristics reflected by FIQ scores (r = 0.79 between FIQ and the Hamilton Depression Index and r = 0.75 between FIQ and the Hamilton Anxiety Scale). The sense of coherence measure for these patients demonstrated an inverse correlation with pain, fatigue, and functional capability. Women with breast cancer tend to develop chronic widespread pain syndromes more often than do healthy women.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bergman S, Herrstrom P, Hogstrom K, Petersson IF, Svensson B, Jacobsson LT (2001) Chronic musculoskeletal pain prevalence rates, and sociodemographic associations in a Swedish population study. J Rheumatol 28:1369–1377

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Bergman S, Herrstrom P, Jacobsson LT, Petersson IF (2002) Chronic widespread pain: a three year followup of pain distribution and risk factors. J Rheumatol 29:818–825

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Croft P, Rigby AS, Boswell R, Schollum J, Silman A (1993) The prevalence of chronic widespread pain in the general population. J Rheumatol 20:710–713

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Anderberg UM, Marteinsdottir I, Theorell T, von KL (2000) The impact of life events in female patients with fibromyalgia and in female healthy controls. Eur Psychiatry 15:295–301

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Amital D, Fostick L, Polliack ML, Segev S, Zohar J, Rubinow A, Amital H (2006) Posttraumatic stress disorder, tenderness, and fibromyalgia syndrome: are they different entities? 1. J Psychosom Res 61:663–669

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Cohen H, Neumann L, Haiman Y, Matar MA, Press J, Buskila D (2002) Prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder in fibromyalgia patients: overlapping syndromes or post-traumatic fibromyalgia syndrome? Semin Arthritis Rheum 32:38–50

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Haviland MG, Morton KR, Oda K, Fraser GE (2010) Traumatic experiences, major life stressors, and self-reporting a physician-given fibromyalgia diagnosis. Psychiatry Res 177:335–441

    Google Scholar 

  8. Yunus MB (2001) The role of gender in fibromyalgia syndrome. Curr Rheumatol Rep 3:128–134

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. McBeth J, Macfarlane GJ, Benjamin S, Silman AJ (2001) Features of somatization predict the onset of chronic widespread pain: results of a large population-based study. Arthritis Rheum 44:940–946

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Harkness EF, Macfarlane GJ, Silman AJ, McBeth J (2005) Is musculoskeletal pain more common now than 40 years ago?: two population-based cross-sectional studies. Rheumatology (Oxford) 44:890–895

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Nguyen M, Ugarte C, Fuller I, Haas G, Portenoy RK (2005) Access to care for chronic pain: racial and ethnic differences. J Pain 6:301–314

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Portenoy RK, Ugarte C, Fuller I, Haas G (2004) Population-based survey of pain in the United States: differences among white African American, and Hispanic subjects. J Pain 5:317–328

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Roth RS, Punch MR, Bachman JE (2001) Educational achievement and pain disability among women with chronic pelvic pain. J Psychosom Res 51:563–569

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Benjamin S, Morris S, McBeth J, Macfarlane GJ, Silman AJ (2000) The association between chronic widespread pain and mental disorder: a population-based study. Arthritis Rheum 43:561–567

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Harkness EF, Macfarlane GJ, Nahit ES, Silman AJ, McBeth J (2003) Mechanical and psychosocial factors predict new onset shoulder pain: a prospective cohort study of newly employed workers. Occup Environ Med 60:850–857

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Vishne T, Fostick L, Silberman A, Kupchick M, Rubinow A, Amital H, Amital D (2008) Fibromyalgia among major depression disorder females compared to males. Rheumatol Int 28:831–836

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Yunus MB (1989) Primary fibromyalgia syndrome: a critical evaluation of recent criteria developments. Z Rheumatol 48:217–222

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Karaaslan Y, Ozturk M, Haznedaroglu S (1999) Secondary fibromyalgia in Turkish patients with rheumatologic disorders. Lupus 8:486

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Wolfe F, Smythe HA, Yunus MB, Bennett RM, Bombardier C, Goldenberg DL, Tugwell P, Campbell SM, Abeles M, Clark P (1990) The American College of rheumatology 1990 Criteria for the classification of fibromyalgia. Report of the multicenter criteria committee. Arthritis Rheum 33:160–172

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Burckhardt CS, Clark SR, Bennett RM (1991) The fibromyalgia impact questionnaire: development and validation. J Rheumatol 18:728–733

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Goldenberg DL, Mossey CJ, Schmid CH (1995) A model to assess severity and impact of fibromyalgia. J Rheumatol 22:2313–2318

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Cleeland CS, Ryan KM (1994) Pain assessment: global use of the brief pain inventory. Ann Acad Med Singapore 23:129–138

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Sheehan DV (1983) The anxiety disease. Charles and Scribner & Sons, New York

    Google Scholar 

  24. Sheehan DV, Lecrubier Y, Sheehan KH, Amorim P, Janavs J, Weiller E, Hergueta T, Baker R, Dunbar GC (1998) The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.): the development and validation of a structured diagnostic psychiatric interview for DSM-IV and ICD-10. J Clin Psychiatry 59(Suppl 20):22–33

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Hamilton M (1959) The assessment of anxiety states by rating. Br J Med Psychol 32:50–55

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Hamilton M (1960) A rating scale for depression. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 23:56–62

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Antonovsky A (1993) The structure and properties of the sense of coherence scale. Soc Sci Med 36:725–733

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Eriksson M, Lindstrom B (2005) Validity of Antonovsky’s sense of coherence scale: a systematic review. J Epidemiol Community Health 59:460–466

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Knobf MT (1986) Physical and psychologic distress associated with adjuvant chemotherapy in women with breast cancer. J Clin Oncol 4:678–684

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Neises M, Soedradjat F, Strittmatter HJ, Wischnik A, Melchert F (1996) Quality of life of over 60-year-old patients with breast and uterine carcinoma, 5 years after primary operation. Z Gerontol Geriatr 29:136–142

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Antonovsky A (1985) The life cycle mental health and the sense of coherence. Isr J Psychiatry Relat Sci 22:273–280

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Govender C, Cassimjee N, Schoeman J, Meyer H (2009) Psychological characteristics of FMS patients. Scand J Caring Sci 23:76–83

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine ‘B’, Sheba Medical Center, 52621, Tel-Hashomer, Ramat-Gan, Israel

    Michal Schrier, Yoav Arnson, Arie Altaman & Howard Amital

  2. Department of Psychiatry ‘B’, Ness Ziona Mental Health Center, Ness-Ziona, Israel

    Daniela Amital

  3. Rheumatology Unit, Division of Internal Medicine, Haddassah Medical Center, Hadassah University Hospital, Hadassah-Hebrew University School of Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel

    Alan Rubinow

  4. Institute of Oncology, Meir Medical Center, Kfar-Saba, Israel

    Bella Nissenabaum

  5. Affiliated with the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Michal Schrier, Yoav Arnson, Arie Altaman, Bella Nissenabaum & Howard Amital

Authors
  1. Michal Schrier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Daniela Amital
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yoav Arnson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Alan Rubinow
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Arie Altaman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Bella Nissenabaum
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Howard Amital
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Howard Amital.

Additional information

Michal Schrier, Daniela Amital contributed equally to the study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Schrier, M., Amital, D., Arnson, Y. et al. Association of fibromyalgia characteristics in patients with non-metastatic breast cancer and the protective role of resilience. Rheumatol Int 32, 3017–3023 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-011-2104-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-011-2104-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation