Breast cancer research and treatment
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Breast Cancer Res. Treat. · Aug 2015
Socio-demographic, treatment-related, and health behavioral predictors of persistent pain 15 months and 7-9 years after surgery: a nationwide prospective study of women treated for primary breast cancer.
The purpose of this study was to investigate and report prevalence and risk factors for persistent pain in breast cancer patients at 15 months and 7-9 years post surgery. A nationwide inception cohort study including 3343 women treated for primary breast cancer between 2001 and 2004, who returned a questionnaire 3 months post surgery. Socio-demographic and clinical information was obtained from registries. ⋯ No socio-demographic predictors remained statistically significant. Younger age, lower socio-economic status, more invasive surgery, endocrine treatment, and adverse health behaviors emerged as risk factors for persistent pain. The influence of risk factors changed over time, suggesting a complex course of pain development and maintenance.