Analgesic Effect of Resistance Training for Breast Cancer Survivors

Effect of Resistance Training of Persistent Pain After Breast Cancer

Persistent pain after treatment for breast cancer is a major clinical problem, affecting 25-60 % of the patients and is a source of considerable physical disability and psychological distress. Thus, the development of novel interventions to improve pain management for these patients is of clinical importance. Resistance training (RT) is a promising tool to combat a variety of undesirable adverse effects due to breast cancer treatment. Further, research suggests that it may also be able to provide pain-relieving benefits.

Hypothesis: Resistance training will improve pain perception and physical function in the short- and long term compared to a non-training control group.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide with more than a million new cases diagnosed every year [1]. Fortunately, due to better treatment options, the population of long-term survivors is increasing. This poses new demands for knowledge on how to manage late effects to the treatment regimen. Persistent pain after treatment for breast cancer is a common and underestimated problem as well as it can be a source of considerable physical disability and psychological distress [2]. Hence, the development of novel interventions to improve pain management is of high clinical relevance. Resistance training (RT) is a promising clinical therapeutic tool to improve a variety of adverse effects to breast cancer treatment [3] and may provide several pain-relieving benefits [4]. However, the efficacy of this modality for managing persistent pain after breast cancer treatment is currently unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this project is to investigate if individualized RT can modulate persistent pain after breast cancer treatment, thereby improving our understanding of how this modality may benefit patients and contribute to clinical guidelines for pain management in this clinical population.

Inclusion Criteria:

• primary diagnosis of breast cancer (grades I-IIIA).
• adult women at least 18 years of age.
• having received breast cancer treatment (i.e. surgery and possible adjuvant chemo and/or radiotherapy) at least 18 months before the start of the study.
• self reported pain in the areas of the breast, shoulder, axilla, arm and/or side of body with an intensity of ≥ 3 on a numeric rating scale (0 = no pain, 10 = worst pain imaginable).
• no signs of cancer recurrence.
• reading, writing and speaking Danish.

Exclusion Criteria:

• breast surgery for cosmetic reasons or prophylactic mastectomy.
• bilateral breast cancer.
• lymphedema.
• other chronic pain conditions (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis).
• previous diagnosis of fibromyalgia syndrome.