Prevalence and risk factors associated with pain 21 months following surgery for breast cancer.

Purpose: This study investigated (1) the prevalence of pain following breast cancer treatment including moderate-to-severe persistent pain and (2) the association of risk factors, present 1 month following surgery, with pain at 21 months following surgery. This information may aid the development of clinical guidelines for early pain assessment and intervention in this population.

Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of core and breast modules of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) questionnaire from 121 participants with early breast cancer.