• Katarzyna Hojan, Magdalena Wojtysiak, Juliusz Huber, Marta Molińska-Glura, Agnieszka Wiertel-Krawczuk, and Piotr Milecki.
• Department of Rehabilitation, Greater Poland Cancer Centre, 15 Garbary St., 61-866, Poznan, Poland. Electronic address: khojan@op.pl.
• Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2016 Aug 1; 23: 8-14.

PurposeBreast cancer surgery or radiotherapy (RT) are potential causes of persistent pain syndrome. It remains to be clarified whether numbness or pain reported by patients after mastectomy and RT are conditioned by changes in nerve transmission. The aim of this study was to examine the potential relationship between subjective sensory complications and neurophysiological examinations in breast cancer survivors with post-mastectomy pain syndrome.MethodsSixty breast cancer survivors (30 patients only after mastectomy - group A; and 30 after mastectomy with RT - group B) complaining of pain and sensory disturbances in the brachial plexus area and 20 healthy women (group C) were studied with regard to sensory perception and pain intensity using the Visual Analogue Scale and electroneurography (ENG).ResultsThere was a statistically significant decrease in the amplitudes in SCV recordings following stimulation of the ulnar (p = 0.04) and lateral cutaneous antebrachii nerves (p = 0.02) in group B in comparison to group C. Additionally, a significant decrease in the amplitude and conduction velocity parameters was detected in the sensory fibers of the median and medial cutaneous antebrachii nerves in group A (p = 0.00 and p = 0.02, respectively) in comparison to group C.ConclusionsThe results of this pilot study suggest persistent post-mastectomy pain syndrome sometimes appears as a result of nerve injury in course of breast cancer surgery and RT. Therefore studies in nerve conduction may be added to the comprehensive patient assessment used in planning breast cancer patients' rehabilitation after oncological treatment has finished.Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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