Breast cancer pain, preventing chronic pain

In the tradition of research around chronification of acute postoperative pain of the department of anesthesiology and painmedicine,
an international multidisciplinary team developed a randomized controlled multicenter trial to examine the preventive effect
of web-based cognitive behavioural therapy on persistent pain after breast cancer.

Surviving breast cancer does not necessarily mean complete recovery to a premorbid state of health.
In the past decade it became clear that cancer survivorship is a new diagnosis for patients with complex patterns of somatic and psychological
distress requiring continuing complex medical care.

Amongst these, persistent pain after breast cancer treatment (PPBCT) with a prevalence of 15-65% is probably the most invalidating,
increasing survivor’s symptom burden and negatively affecting mood, sleep, daily activities, and quality of life. Once chronic,
PPBCT is difficult to treat and requires a complex individualized multidisciplinary approach.

Multiple individual and cancer treatment related risk factors for PPBCT have been identified in the past decades.
Studies aiming to prevent PPBCT by modifying its somatic risk factors have not yet lead to a significant reduction of PPBCT prevalence. 
Virtually NO studies have been performed to modify psychological distress before surgery with the aim of preventing persistent pain,
even though for years studies about prevention persisting pain after surgery in general and PPBCT in particular
have been suggesting the necessity for such an approach.

Interested?
Find more information about the study on our website.