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Comparison of central sensitization-related symptoms and health-related quality of life between breast cancer survivors with and without chronic pain and healthy controls

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Abstract

Background

In breast cancer survivors, multiple risk factors for health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and chronic pain, including cancer treatment-related factors, psychosocial factors, and central sensitization (CS), have been suggested; however, there has been no comparative study between breast cancer survivors with and without pain. This study aimed to compare the demographic characteristics, psychological factors, and CS-related symptoms between breast cancer survivors with pain, those without pain, and healthy controls, and to investigate the relationships of these factors with HRQoL.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 218 women, including patients who underwent breast cancer surgery and adjuvant therapy and healthy women.

Results

Patients were divided into the pain group (n = 42), without-pain group (n = 51), and healthy group (n = 47); thus, among breast cancer survivors, 45% reported chronic pain. The proportion of participants who received breast cancer treatments, such as axillary lymph node dissection and chemotherapy, was higher in the pain group than in the without-pain group (p < 0.05). The Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) and psychosocial factors in the pain group were higher than those in the without-pain group and healthy group (p < 0.01). The CSI and PCS showed larger effect sizes than treatment-related factors. Moreover, HRQoL was significantly correlated with CSI, PCS, Patient Health Questionnaire-2, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 scale (all, p < 0.01). On multiple linear regression analysis, CSI accounted for 43% of the variance in HRQoL.

Conclusions

CS and pain catastrophizing may be more associated with the development and/or maintenance of persistent pain than treatment-related factors.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Hiroe Kanamori, Izumi Kameyama, Yumi Nakakura, Yasuko Tanaka, Naoko Takahashi, and Noriko Hashimoto for assistance with data collection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Breast Care Sensyu Clinic, Kishiwada, Osaka, Japan

    Masahiro Manfuku & Kazuhiro Sumiyoshi

  2. Department of Nursing and Physical Therapy, Konan Women’s University, 6-2-23, Morikita-machi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 658-0001, Japan

    Tomohiko Nishigami & Akira Mibu

  3. Department of Rehabilitation, Tanabe Orthopaedics, Osaka, Osaka, Japan

    Katsuyoshi Tanaka

  4. Department of Cardiovascular Rehabilitation, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Osaka, Japan

    Kazufumi Kitagaki

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  1. Masahiro Manfuku
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Correspondence to Tomohiko Nishigami.

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Manfuku, M., Nishigami, T., Mibu, A. et al. Comparison of central sensitization-related symptoms and health-related quality of life between breast cancer survivors with and without chronic pain and healthy controls. Breast Cancer 26, 758–765 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-019-00979-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-019-00979-y

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