Citation:
Zhu, Y., et al., 2022. Increased Clinical Pain Locations and Pain Sensitivity in Women after Breast Cancer Surgery: Influence of Aromatase Inhibitor Therapy. Clin J Pain.
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Date Published:
2022 Sep 22
Abstract:
OBJECTIVES: Aromatase inhibitors (AIs), which potently inhibit estrogen biosynthesis, are a standard treatment for hormone sensitive early-stage breast cancer. AIs have been associated with substantial joint pain and muscle stiffness (aromatase inhibitor-associated musculoskeletal syndrome, AIMSS). However, the link between AIs and number of clinical pain locations and pain sensitivity are less well understood. The aim of this study was to compare longitudinal changes in clinical pain and quantitative pain sensitivity between women who did or did not receive AI therapy. METHODS: Women with early-stage breast cancer were prospectively enrolled and assessed for clinical pain in surgical and non-surgical body areas using the Brief Pain Inventory and Breast Cancer Pain Questionnaire, and for pain sensitivity using quantitative sensory testing preoperatively and at 1 year postoperatively. Pain outcomes between participants who did and did not begin adjuvant AI therapy were compared using Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks and generalized estimating equation linear regression analyses. RESULTS: Clinical pain and pain sensitivity were comparable between AI(n=49) and no-AI(n=106) groups preoperatively. After adjusting for BMI, AI therapy was associated with a greater increase in number of painful non-surgical body sites (significant time by treatment interaction, P=0.024). Pain location was most frequent in knees (28%), lower back (26%), and ankles/feet (17%). Quantitative sensory testing revealed a significant decrease in pain sensitivity (increased pressure pain threshold) in the no-AI group over time, but not in the AI group. CONCLUSION: AI therapy was associated with increased diffuse joint-related pain and greater post-treatment pain sensitivity, potentially implicating central sensitization as a contributing pain mechanism of AIMSS worthy of future investigation.
Last updated on 10/14/2022