Comparison of central sensitization-related symptoms and health-related quality of life between breast cancer survivors with and without chronic pain and healthy controls

Background In breast cancer survivors, multiple risk factors for health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and chronic pain, including cancer treatment-related factors, psychosocial factors, and central sensitization (CS), have been suggested; however, there has been no comparative study between breast cancer survivors with and without pain. This study aimed to compare the demographic characteristics, psychological factors, and CS-related symptoms between breast cancer survivors with pain, those without pain, and healthy controls, and to investigate the relationships of these factors with HRQoL. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 218 women, including patients who underwent breast cancer surgery and adjuvant therapy and healthy women. Results Patients were divided into the pain group ( n = 42), without-pain group ( n = 51), and healthy group ( n = 47); thus, among breast cancer survivors, 45% reported chronic pain. The proportion of participants who received breast cancer treatments, such as axillary lymph node dissection and chemotherapy, was higher in the pain group than in the without-pain group ( p