Breast cancer treatment is for many patients followed by sequelae, such as persistent pain, sensory disturbances, lymphedema and reduced physical function. These undesired consequences of the treatment are a major clinical problem, with persistent pain affecting 25-60%, sensory disturbances 20-80%, lymphedema 2-86% and reduced physical function 13-28% of patients. Development of persistent pain after breast cancer treatment, involves a complex pathophysiology that involves pre-, intra- and postoperative factors. Several risk factors for the development of persistent pain after breast cancer treatment have been identified; young age, psychosocial factors, surgical procedure and radiation therapy. Neurotoxicity is a well know attribute of many chemotherapeutic agents, such as taxanes. The purpose of this nationwide study is to retrospectively examine a cohort of breast cancer patients treated with docetaxel, to clarify if docetaxel may influence the prevalence and intensity of persistent pain and other sequelae.
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Docetaxel as a risk factor for development of persistent pain
Timeframe: Between 2-3 years post surgery