Feasibility of Prehabilitation Prior to Breast Cancer Surgery: A Mixed-Methods Study.

After breast cancer (BC) surgery, women may experience a physical decline. The effect of physical activity (PA) on the course of recovery after BC surgery has not yet been thoroughly examined. To analyze the impact of physical activity performed by women undergoing breast cancer surgery on measures of function, range of motion, and self-efficacy. A prospective study was carried out in 157 patients who underwent surgery for BC between October 2018 and April 2019, divided into four groups according to the intensity of PA with 6 months follow-up. 50 sedentary patients and 107 active patients were enrolled; the mean age was 52.6. Women who performed physical activity, moderate to vigorous, demonstrated lower function disabilities (QuickDASH 2.22) compared with inactivity or light physical activity (QuickDASH 7.0, p < 0.001), with better shoulder flexion (159.0° vs. 150.7°, p = 0.007) and abduction (159.5° vs. 152.2°, p = 0.008). Higher PA levels, displayed in higher self-efficacy reports (9.5 vs. 8.8, p = 0.002), and return to prior job status (0.005). The PA level does not influence pain at one, three and 6 months postoperatively (p = 0.278, p = 0.304 and p = 0.304 respectively). High PA levels increase the risk of axillary web syndrome (p = 0.041), although, it reduces the incidence of chronic pain (p = 0.007). Women who practice physical activity recover better from BC surgery than sedentary women. The higher the intensity and frequency of training, the better the results. Vigorous activity cause axillary web syndrome, despite, it has a beneficial effect on lowering the rate of chronic pain.

With throughput and cost containment uppermost in purchasers’ minds, any evidence that the length of hospital stays after surgery can be reduced without increasing physical or psychological morbidity must be...

Objective: To analyze the effects of 12 weeks of free dancing compared to the control group and the reference group without breast cancer, on depressive symptoms, anxiety and stress in women after breast cancer surgery and to verify the association between the variables. Methods: Randomized clinical trial, comprising women after breast cancer surgery (57.7 ± 9.0 years) and women without breast cancer (51.5 ± 10.8 years), divided into 3 groups; (a) received the free dance intervention (n = 11); (b) control group with breast cancer (n = 11) maintained their routine activities, and (c) control group without breast cancer (n = 12) who were matched by age and could not perform physical exercise during the study period. The dance intervention lasted 12 weeks, with 60-minute sessions, held twice a week. The evaluated outcomes were: depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory), anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory), and stress (Perceived Stress Scale). Results: There was statistically significant improvement in the intragroup for free dance in depressive symptoms (P = .025), anxiety (P = .009) and stress (P = .050). No significant intragroup differences were found in the control group I and control group II, as well as intergroup differences. In the association of variables, the healthy reference group worsened in the simple analysis, for anxiety (P ≤ .001) and stress (P = .040), and worsened in the adjusted analysis, also for anxiety (P ≤ .001) and stress (P = .025). Conclusion: Free dancing had positive effects on depressive symptoms, anxiety and stress in women after breast cancer surgery. After verifying the association of the variables, it was noticed a worsening of the variables in the CGII. Clinical registry: Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (ReBEC) (no. 0RBR-772ktp).

Prevalence and intensity of persistent post-surgical pain following breast cancer surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

Upper limb problems are common after breast cancer treatment. To investigate the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a structured exercise programme compared with usual care on upper limb function, health-related outcomes and costs in women undergoing breast cancer surgery. This was a two-arm, pragmatic, randomised controlled trial with embedded qualitative research, process evaluation and parallel economic analysis; the unit of randomisation was the individual (allocated ratio 1 : 1). Breast cancer centres, secondary care. Women aged ≥ 18 years who had been diagnosed with breast cancer and were at higher risk of developing shoulder problems. Women were screened to identify their risk status. All participants received usual-care information leaflets. Those randomised to exercise were referred to physiotherapy for an early, structured exercise programme (three to six face-to-face appointments that included strengthening, physical activity and behavioural change strategies). The primary outcome was upper limb function at 12 months as assessed using the Disabilities of Arm, Hand and Shoulder questionnaire. Secondary outcomes were function (Disabilities of Arm, Hand and Shoulder questionnaire subscales), pain, complications (e.g. wound-related complications, lymphoedema), health-related quality of life (e.g. EuroQol-5 Dimensions, five-level version; Short Form questionnaire-12 items), physical activity and health service resource use. The economic evaluation was expressed in terms of incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year and incremental net monetary benefit gained from an NHS and Personal Social Services perspective. Participants and physiotherapists were not blinded to group assignment, but data collectors were blinded. Between 2016 and 2017, we randomised 392 participants from 17 breast cancer centres across England: 196 (50%) to the usual-care group and 196 (50%) to the exercise group. Ten participants (10/392; 3%) were withdrawn at randomisation and 32 (8%) did not provide complete baseline data. A total of 175 participants (89%) from each treatment group provided baseline data. Participants' mean age was 58.1 years (standard deviation 12.1 years; range 28-88 years). Most participants had undergone axillary node clearance surgery (327/392; 83%) and 317 (81%) had received radiotherapy. Uptake of the exercise treatment was high, with 181 out of 196 (92%) participants attending at least one physiotherapy appointment. Compliance with exercise was good: 143 out of 196 (73%) participants completed three or more physiotherapy sessions. At 12 months, 274 out of 392 (70%) participants returned questionnaires. Improvement in arm function was greater in the exercise group [mean Disabilities of Arm, Hand and Shoulder questionnaire score of 16.3 (standard deviation 17.6)] than in the usual-care group [mean Disabilities of Arm, Hand and Shoulder questionnaire score of 23.7 (standard deviation 22.9)] at 12 months for intention-to-treat (adjusted mean difference Disabilities of Arm, Hand and Shoulder questionnaire score of -7.81, 95% confidence interval -12.44 to -3.17; p = 0.001) and complier-average causal effect analyses (adjusted mean difference -8.74, 95% confidence interval -13.71 to -3.77; p ≤ 0.001). At 12 months, pain scores were lower and physical health-related quality of life was higher in the exercise group than in the usual-care group (Short Form questionnaire-12 items, mean difference 4.39, 95% confidence interval 1.74 to 7.04; p = 0.001). We found no differences in the rate of adverse events or lymphoedema over 12 months. The qualitative findings suggested that women found the exercise programme beneficial and enjoyable. Exercise accrued lower costs (-£387, 95% CI -£2491 to £1718) and generated more quality-adjusted life years (0.029, 95% CI 0.001 to 0.056) than usual care over 12 months. The cost-effectiveness analysis indicated that exercise was more cost-effective and that the results were robust to sensitivity analyses. Exercise was relatively cheap to implement (£129 per participant) and associated with lower health-care costs than usual care and improved health-related quality of life. Benefits may accrue beyond the end of the trial. Postal follow-up was lower than estimated; however, the study was adequately powered. No serious adverse events directly related to the intervention were reported. This trial provided robust evidence that referral for early, supported exercise after breast cancer surgery improved shoulder function in those at risk of shoulder problems and was associated with lower health-care costs than usual care and improved health-related quality of life. Future work should focus on the implementation of exercise programmes in clinical practice for those at highest risk of shoulder problems. This trial is registered as ISRCTN35358984. This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 26, No. 15. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Rehabilitation for Women Undergoing Breast Cancer Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness of Early, Unrestricted Exercise Programs on Upper Limb Function

Introduction: Functional limitations in women undergoing breast cancer treatment are common and have negative impacts during patient treatment. Physical exercise after breast cancer surgery has been shown to be safe and beneficial, as well as necessary during all stages in order to minimize the negative impact of complications that compromise functionality. This study aims to assess adherence to home exercises and associated factors in women undergoing breast cancer surgery. Methods: A prospective cohort study with an inclusion of women with indication for curative breast cancer surgery and an axillary approach. During the postoperative period, patients were instructed to perform home exercises and received a home guide that should be completed daily for 30 days. Patient adherence and perception about exercise difficulty and discomfort, and the presence of pain, insecurity and fear were assessed. A descriptive analysis of socio-demographic and clinical variables was performed, and a simple logistic regression was carried out to identify whether symptoms interfered with exercise adherence. Results: A total of 465 women were included, of which 43.6% fully adhered to the exercises, 31.6% partially adhered, and 24.7% either did not deliver the home guide, delivered it blank or containing illegible information. Arm discomfort was the most frequent subjective symptom (63.1%), followed by pain (51.6%). No variables were associated to exercise adherence. Conclusions: Patients undergoing breast cancer surgery presented total (43.6%) or partial (31.6%) exercise adherence in the first thirty postoperative days. Subjective symptoms and patient perception did not interfere in exercise adherence rates.

Background: BREAST-Q is a PROMs used to measure and assess patient satisfaction and quality of life before and after breast cancer surgery. BREAST-Q composed of 5 different modules and each module comprised of multiple scales. Each module has preoperative and postoperative versions to assess the impact of surgery. Four subscales with common items from the 5 modules: “satisfaction with the breast”, psychosocial, sexual and physical well-being were subjected to testing. Two other subscales, “satisfaction with overall outcomes” and “satisfaction with the care” were only validated linguistically. Currently, the BREAST-Q has already been translated into 25 languages. Linguistic and psychometric validation of BREAST-Q has not been performed in Malaysia. Aim: To translate the BREAST-Q into Malay language and perform psychometric validation. Methods: Translation of the English BREAST-Q to Malay language was done based on linguistic validation protocol provided by MAPI Research Trust. Content and face validation were performed to determine contextual accuracy, acceptability and understanding of the items. The finalised Malay BREAST-Q then underwent psychometric testing. Breast cancer patients (n=186) who were planned for breast cancer surgery were conveniently sampled at the breast clinic of UMMC between June 2015 to June 2016. Consented participants completed the questionnaire in the same visit following their diagnosis. Retest was done 2-3 weeks after the first questionnaire administration in 62 patients who were admitted for their surgery. Data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS software. Results: Content experts (4 breast surgeons) agreed the items in BREAST-Q comprehensively measured the concept of interest and I-CVI for each item was 1.0. Participants agreed the questionnaire was comprehensive and easy to understand. The average time taken to complete the questionnaire was 15.3 minutes. Test–retest analysis showed good reproducibility with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) value of 0.71-0.98. Internal consistencies were good for all items in each subscale with Cronbach's alpha values of 0.83-0.95. The highest interitem correlation for each item with at least one other item in the construct ranged from 0.47 to 0.90. The lowest corrected item-total correlation (CITC) values ranged from 0.47 to 0.72. In exploratory factor analysis, the KMO values were excellent in all 4 subscales (0.76, 0.92, 0.91, and 0.86). Single factor was extracted in 3 subscales that explained more than 50% of the variance and 3 factors (breast pain, general pain, and discomfort) were extracted in “physical well-being” subscale that cumulatively explained more than 50% of the variance. Conclusion: The Malay BREAST-Q demonstrated good reliability, content and face validity, and excellent psychometric properties. Hence, we propose the use of the Malay BREAST-Q to measure patient reported outcomes among breast cancer patients in Malaysia undergoing breast cancer surgery.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with increased risk of complications after breast cancer surgery. This study investigated systemic and surgical-site postoperative complications and the risk of early and late breast cancer recurrence and mortality, overall, and according to T2D status. From the Danish Breast Cancer Group (DBCG) and Danish registries, a cohort of women with incident early-stage breast cancer diagnosed 1996-2017 was assembled. All women underwent mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery. Using diagnostic codes, systemic and surgical-site complications within 30 days of surgery were defined. Early recurrence (<10 years from diagnosis) was ascertained from the DBCG and late recurrence (≥10 years after diagnosis) via a validated registry-based algorithm. Incidence rates (IRs) per 1000 person-years were calculated, and Cox regression was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) of early and late recurrence, and death, according to postoperative complications. Potential effect measure modification by T2D was evaluated. Among 58 198 women undergoing breast cancer surgery, 6285 (10.8%) had postoperative complications. Overall, 747 and 5756 women with and without complications developed early recurrence (IR: 19.7 and 17.9, aHR = 1.04, 95% c.i. 0.96, 1.13), whereas 314 and 3314 women developed late recurrence (IR: 23.9 and 26.0, and aHR = 0.90, 95% c.i. 0.80, 1.02). Prevalent T2D did not impact these findings. Women with postoperative complications had higher mortality rates than those without complications (aHR = 1.11; 95% c.i. 1.06, 1.16); especially those with T2D versus no T2D (aHR = 1.50; 95% c.i. 1.30, 1.73). Postoperative complications after breast cancer primary surgery did not impact recurrence risk but had a negative impact on survival, especially in women with T2D.

Chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) is a common postoperative adverse event affecting up to half of women undergoing breast cancer surgery, yet few epidemiological studies have prospectively investigated the role of preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative risk factors for pain onset and chronicity. We prospectively investigated preoperative sociodemographic and psychological factors, intraoperative clinical factors, and acute postoperative pain in a prospective cohort of 362 women undergoing surgery for primary breast cancer. Intraoperative nerve handling (division or preservation) of the intercostobrachial nerve was recorded. At 4 and 9months after surgery, incidence of chronic painful symptoms not present preoperatively was 68% and 63%, respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that multiple psychological factors and nerve division was associated with chronic pain at 4 and 9months. In a multivariate model, independent predictors of CPSP at 4months included younger age and acute postoperative pain (odds ratio [OR] 1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12 to 1.60), whereas preoperative psychological robustness (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.49 to 0.99), a composite variable comprising high dispositional optimism, high positive affect, and low emotional distress, was protective. At 9months, younger age, axillary node clearance (OR 2.97, 95% CI 1.09 to 8.06), and severity of acute postoperative pain (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.37) were predictive of pain persistence. Of those with CPSP, 25% experienced moderate to severe pain and 40% were positive on Douleur Neuropathique 4 and Self-Complete Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs pain scales. Overall, a high proportion of women report painful symptoms, altered sensations, and numbness in the upper body within the first 9months after resectional breast surgery and cancer treatment.

Objective The purpose of this secondary analysis was to describe the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and perceived stress among women newly diagnosed with breast cancer and the impact of baseline and changes in anxiety on cognitive functioning following exercise and mind-body prehabilitation interventions. Methods The sample consisted of 49 women with newly diagnosed breast cancer (stages I–III) who planned to undergo breast cancer surgery at two academic cancer centers. Participants were randomized to receive an exercise or mind-body prehabilitation intervention between the time of diagnosis and breast cancer surgery. Participants completed self-report measures of anxiety, depression (HADS), perceived stress, and cognitive functioning (EORTC-QLQ-C30) at study enrollment and prior to surgery (post-intervention). The relationships between change in cognitive functioning and change in anxiety among all participants were estimated using linear regression modeling. Results A significant proportion of women with newly diagnosed breast cancer had clinically significant anxiety (34.0%). Greater anxiety was moderately associated with worse cognitive functioning (r = –0.33) at baseline. Linear modeling found that changes in cognitive functioning and anxiety were inversely related: Each one-unit decrease in anxiety was associated with a two-unit improvement in cognitive function (p = .06). Conclusions Anxiety was common in women with newly diagnosed breast cancer and was related to worse cognitive functioning. Assessment of anxiety at the time of diagnosis may allow for earlier anxiety management and subsequent improvement in cognitive functioning.

Although fear of recurrence (FCR) is common among cancer survivors, it remains unclear what factors predict initial levels (e.g., prior to surgery) or changes in FCR in the post-treatment period. Among women treated for breast cancer, this study evaluated the effects of demographic, clinical, symptom, and psychosocial adjustment characteristics on the initial (preoperative) levels of FCR and trajectories of FCR over 6 months following surgery. Prior to and for 6 months following breast cancer surgery, 396 women were assessed for demographic and clinical (disease and treatment) characteristics, symptoms, psychological adjustment characteristics, and quality of life (QOL). FCR was assessed using a four-item subscale from the QOL instrument. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to examine changes in FCR scores and to identify predictors of inter-individual differences in preoperative FCR levels and trajectories over 6 months. From before surgery to 6 months post-operatively, women with breast cancer showed a high degree of inter-individual variability in FCR. Preoperatively, women who lived with someone, experienced greater changes in spiritual life, had higher state anxiety, had more difficulty coping, or experienced more distress due to diagnosis or distress to family members reported higher FCR scores. Patients who reported better overall physical health and higher FCR scores at enrollment demonstrated a steeper decrease in FCR scores over time. These findings highlight inter-individual heterogeneity in initial levels and changes in FCR over time among women undergoing breast cancer surgery. Further work is needed to identify and provide interventions for women experiencing FCR during and after breast cancer treatment.

Background: Genetic variations of mu-opioid receptors are well known to contribute to growth and progression of tumors. The most common single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the mu-opioid receptor 1 gene (OPRM1) is the A118G mutation. We examined the association between the recurrent breast cancer and genotypes of OPRM1 A118G SNP (AA vs. AG vs. GG) in Korean women population.Methods: We analysed medical records and genetic data of 200 patients aged more than 20 who underwent primary breast cancer surgery from June 2012 to June 2014 and diagnosed recurrent breast cancer from June 2012 to September 2019.Results: The incidence of recurrent breast cancer was 6.1%, 8.2%, and 4.8% in genotype AA, AG and GG, respectively (p=0.780). The incidence of recurrent breast cancer in volatile anaesthesia group was 7.0% and 7.1% in total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) group (RR = 0.984, 95% CI = 0.328 - 2.951; p = 0.978).Conclusion: OPRM1 A118G SNP had no influence on breast cancer recurrence in Korean women. Anaesthesia technique did not show significant effect on the incidence of recurrent breast cancer.

Orthostatic function and the cardiovascular response to early mobilization after breast cancer surgery

Women who undergo breast cancer surgery risk suffering from postsurgical pain long after their surgery. Still, research on postsurgical pain in the subacute phase has been neglected. This study aims to investigate the incidence, intensity, unpleasantness, and presurgical predictors of acute and subacute postsurgical pain after breast cancer surgery. The study used an observational design through secondary analyses of the control group in a randomized controlled trial. Data from 102 women undergoing breast cancer surgery were included. Levels of acute and subacute pain intensity and unpleasantness were measured using 100 mm Visual Analogue Scales on the day of surgery and 4 weeks postsurgery. Linear regression analyses were performed to identify presurgical biopsychosocial predictors of acute and subacute postsurgical pain. Average levels of postsurgical pain intensity and unpleasantness were as follows: 22.7 mm for acute pain intensity, 19.0 mm for acute pain unpleasantness, 10.3 mm for subacute pain intensity, and 11.7 mm for subacute pain unpleasantness. Pain expectancy predicted acute pain intensity (R2 = 0.04, p = 0.047) and acute unpleasantness (R2 = 0.06, p = 0.02). Perceived social support inversely predicted acute pain unpleasantness (R2 = 0.04, p = 0.014). Mild and moderate acute pain intensity and unpleasantness are common after breast cancer surgery, whereas levels of subacute pain intensity and unpleasantness are low. Pain expectancy predicts acute postsurgical pain intensity and unpleasantness, whereas expected social support inversely predicts acute postsurgical pain unpleasantness.