Understanding pain in people with breast cancer
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding pain in people with breast cancer
IRAS ID
128206
Contact name
Stephanie Andrews
Contact email
Research summary
Rationale
Pain is experienced by the majority of breast cancer patients and can have a large negative impact on quality of life. Pain is associated with reduced activity levels, increased medication and increased hospital visits. Multiple pains are common, and while some are due to the cancer itself, others are due to the treatment. These pains can potentially be treated if the patient tells their doctor about them. Mood disorders such as anxiety and depression are a commonly found in people with chronic pain, including cancer patients. Other conditions found alongside chronic pain include fatigue and problems with sleep, which can make pain feel worse. It is important to consider the role of pain prediction in a clinical setting when cancer patients attend medical appointments. In addition to past experience of pain influencing doctor-patient interactions and subsequent pain treatment, predictions of future experiences also have an important role. Pain prediction is affected by a number of factors such as personal characteristics, mental health, anxiety and fear, optimism and pessimism, past pain experience, current pain and how the individual understands their pain.Aims
This research aims to determine the most appropriate way to schedule the monitoring of pain in breast cancer patients, including recording pain predictions. The monitoring must be accurate, timely, relevant and not too burdensome. Additionally the monitoring must gather information which could potentially be shared with healthcare professionals and will assist them to manage the pain as effectively as possible.Method
Two different schedules of monitoring will be compared. Participants will either complete pain and prediction measures when they experience a pain event OR at specified times twice each day. All data will be collected online via Q-tool, a secure website tool purpose-built to enable generation of online surveys. Following the online collection phase, participants will take part in a short interview.REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/YH/0288
Date of REC Opinion
18 Oct 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion