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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 May 1.
Published in final edited form as: Pain. 2016 May;157(5):1122–1131. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000489

Table 3.

Pain Score by Tumor and Treatment Characteristics

Variable Pain score1
Pre-RT Post-RT RT-Associated Change
N Mean SD MD P2 N Mean SD MD P2 N Mean SD MD P2
Tumor stage
 0 71 1.4 1.9 0.7 0.038 63 2.5 2.3 2.0 0.540 58 1.2 2.1 0.8 0.368
 IA–B 177 1.5 2.0 0.3 165 2.8 2.6 2.5 153 1.3 2.3 0.8
 IIA–IIIC 110 2.0 2.2 1.3 107 3.0 2.6 2.3 103 0.9 2.2 0.8
ER
 Positive 276 1.6 2.0 0.8 0.431 262 2.8 2.6 2.3 0.978 244 1.2 2.2 0.8 0.414
 Negative 82 1.8 2.4 0.7 73 2.8 2.5 2.3 70 1.0 2.2 0.8
PR
 Positive 242 1.6 2.0 0.8 0.376 228 2.9 2.6 2.3 0.641 214 1.3 2.2 0.8 0.110
 Negative 115 1.8 2.2 0.8 107 2.7 2.4 2.3 100 0.9 2.1 0.5
HER2
 Positive 30 2.6 2.7 1.8 0.014 27 3.4 2.9 3.0 0.343 21 1.2 1.8 0.8 0.917
 Negative 269 1.6 2.0 0.8 257 2.9 2.2. 2.3 244 1.2 2.3 0.8
Triple negative
 No 288 1.6 2.0 0.8 0.563 273 2.9 2.6 2.3 0.971 253 1.2 2.2 0.8 0.609
 Yes 53 1.8 2.5 0.3 47 2.9 2.6 2.5 46 1.0 2.4 0.6
Type of chemotherapy
 None 191 1.5 1.9 0.8 0.272 174 2.7 2.4 2.3 0.598 164 1.2 2.1 0.8 0.707
 Taxane 159 1.8 2.2 0.8 152 2.9 2.7 2.3 142 1.2 2.4 0.5
 Other 8 1.2 1.4 0.8 9 3.5 2.2 3.8 8 1.8 1.5 2.0
Trastuzumab
 No 331 1.6 2.0 0.8 0.027 310 2.8 2.5 2.3 0.334 295 1.2 2.2 0.8 0.720
 Yes 27 2.5 2.7 1.0 25 3.3 3.0 2.8 19 1.3 1.8 1.3
Taxane +Trastuzumab
 None/other chemo only 197 1.5 1.9 0.8 0.053 181 2.8 2.4 2.3 0.530 171 1.2 2.1 0.8 0.999
 Either 136 1.7 2.1 0.6 131 2.8 2.7 2.3 125 1.2 2.4 0.5
 Both 25 2.5 2.8 1.0 23 3.4 3.1 2.8 18 1.2 1.8 1.0
Axillary surgery
 None/SLNB 240 1.5 2.0 0.6 0.048 221 2.7 2.5 2.3 0.386 210 1.2 2.2 0.8
 ALND 118 1.9 2.2 1.0 114 3.0 2.7 2.3 104 1.1 2.2 0.8 0.508
Hormone Therapy
 None/after RT 175 1.6 2.1 0.8 0.912 156 2.7 2.4 2.1 0.811 149 0.9 2.0 0.5 0.063
 AI before RT 95 1.6 1.9 1.0 96 2.9 2.7 2.1 88 1.2 2.5 0.8
 AI during RT 14 1.1 1.8 0.0 14 3.5 2.9 3.8 14 2.4 2.7 2.1
 Tamoxifen before RT 61 1.7 2.2 0.8 56 2.9 2.5 2.4 50 1.7 2.4 1.1
 Tamoxifen during RT 13 1.8 2.6 0.3 13 2.9 2.7 2.5 13 1.1 1.1 0.5
RT Type
 Conventional 294 1.7 2.1 0.8 0.331 286 3.0 2.6 2.5 0.002 268 1.3 2.3 1.0 0.031
 Hypofractionation 55 1.5 2.0 0.8 49 1.8 2.0 1.0 46 0.5 1.8 0.0
Total RT dose (Gy)
 <60 112 1.3 1.8 0.5 0.045 93 2.0 2.1 1.3 <0.001 87 0.8 2.0 0.3 0.109
 ≥60 246 1.8 2.2 0.8 242 3.1 2.7 2.6 227 1.3 2.3 1.0
Boost
 No 44 1.1 1.6 0.5 0.087 32 2.0 2.1 1.1 0.059 31 1.0 2.0 0.3 0.621
 Yes 314 1.7 2.1 0.8 303 2.9 2.6 2.3 283 1.2 2.2 0.8
Breast volume (cc)
 <892.1 (MD) 178 1.4 1.9 0.5 0.097 162 2.4 2.3 1.8 0.004 152 1.0 2.1 0.8 0.183
 ≥892.1 176 1.8 2.2 1.0 169 3.2 2.7 2.8 158 1.3 2.3 0.8
V105 (cc)3
 <241.7 (MD) 167 1.7 2.0 1.0 0.829 147 2.3 2.2 1.8 <0.001 139 0.8 1.9 0.3 0.026
 ≥241.7 154 1.7 2.2 0.6 153 3.2 2.7 2.8 143 1.4 2.4 0.8

Abbreviations: ER=estrogen receptor; PR=progesterone receptor; HER2=human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; ALND=axillary lymph node dissection; SLNB=sentinel lymph node biopsy; AI=aromatase Inhibitor; SD: standard deviation. MD: median.

1

Defined as the mean score of the 4 pain severity items (i.e., pain at its worst, least, average, and now).

2

P values from ANOVA. Significant findings were in bold.

3

V105 (cc): Breast volume receiving > 105% of prescribed dose.