Table 1.

Search strategy for CENTRAL database

Search number	Search terms	Results
1	MeSH descriptor (breast neoplasm) explode all trees OR (breast cancer): ti,ab,kw OR (breast neoplasm):ti,ab,kw	37,845
2	MeSH description (Mastectomy) explode all trees OR (lymph node excision): ti,ab, kw OR (“sentinel node biopsy”):ti,ab, kw OR (“sentinel lymph node dissection”):ti,ab, kw OR (wide local excision):ti,ab,kw	3,274
3	MeSH descriptor: (Chronic Pain) explode all trees OR MeSH descriptor: (Pain, Postoperative) explode all trees OR MeSH descriptor: (Arthralgia) explode all trees OR MeSH descriptor: (Myalgia) explode all trees OR MeSH descriptor: (Pain Measurement) explode all trees OR MeSH descriptor: (Pain Measurement) explode all trees OR (arthralgia):ti,ab, kw OR (myalgia):ti,ab, kw OR (neuralgia):ti,ab, kw OR (“post-operative pain”):ti,ab,kw	97,219
4	MeSH descriptor: (Postoperative Period) explode all trees OR (after surgery): ti,ab, kw OR (following surgery):ti,ab, kw OR (“post-operative”):ti,ab, kw OR (“post-surgery”):ti,ab,kw	153,039
5	#1 AND #2 AND #3 AND #4	188

MeSH, Medical Subject Headings.