Evaluation of the relationship between C-reactive protein level on the first day after surgery and chronic pain after mastectomy

Abstract

Knowledge of the prevalence of chronic pain after breast cancer surgery and possible factors affecting the persistence of pain after breast cancer treatment is necessary to prevent this pain and treatment strategies to improve the quality of life of breast cancer patients. It is believed that the activation of the inflammatory system after surgery can cause chronic pain after surgery. Since mastectomy following breast cancer is one of the surgeries associated with chronic pain, the present study was designed to determine the relationship between C-reactive protein level on the first day after surgery and chronic pain after mastectomy. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted during the period of 2023 with the participation of 90 mastectomy candidates. CRP levels (the day before surgery and the first day after surgery) and demographic information and VAS instrument (for six months and once every month) were completed for all patients. First, the prevalence of chronic pain after mastectomy was estimated, and after the relationship between CRP levels and other variables with chronic pain, multivariate regression tests were used. Results: 39 women (43.33%) suffered from chronic pain after surgery. It was found that age over 60 years is 3.59 times, high body mass index is 6.11 times, the number of chemotherapy sessions is more than 6 sessions is 8.87 times, diabetes mellitus is 3.85 times. Equally, the duration of surgery more than 150 minutes by 6.74 times, removal of lymph nodes by 9.57 times and CRP on the first day after surgery by 19.96 times increase the risk of chronic pain after mastectomy.