Pressure pain sensitivity as a marker for stress and pressure pain sensitivity-guided stress management in women with primary breast cancer. (August 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Axelsson, Christen K.; Ballegaard, Søren; Karpatschof, Benny; Schousen, Peer
• Is Part Of: Scandinavian journal of clinical & laboratory investigation. Volume 74:Number 5(2014)
• Page Start: 399
• Page End: 407
• Publication Date: 2014-08
• Subjects: Clinical biochemistry -- Periodicals; Physiology, Pathological -- Periodicals; Physiology, Experimental -- Periodicals; Medicine -- Research -- Periodicals; Clinical medicine -- Periodicals; 616.0072
• DOI: 10.3109/00365513.2014.900187
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0036-5513

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <bold> <italic>Objectives.</italic> </bold> To validate (1) Pressure Pain Sensitivity (PPS) as a marker for stress and (2) a PPS-guided intervention in women with primary Breast Cancer (BC). <bold><italic>Methods.</italic></bold> (1) A total of 58 women with BC were examined before and after 6 months of intervention. A control group of 165 women office employees was divided in a High Stress Group (HSG, <italic>n</italic> = 37) and a Low Stress Group (LSG, <italic>n</italic> = 128) to evaluate the association between PPS, questionnaire-related Quality of Life (QOL) and self-evaluated stress. (2) A PPS-guided stress management program (<italic>n</italic> = 40) was compared to a Psychosocial Group Intervention (PGI, <italic>n</italic> = 91) and no treatment (<italic>n</italic> = 86) with respect to a European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) questionnaire measured QOL. <bold><italic>Results.</italic></bold> (1) Resting PPS and changes in PPS during the intervention period correlated significantly to EORTC and Short Form 36 (SF 36) main scores: (all <italic>p</italic> < 0.05). Between BC, HSG and LSG there was a significant and positive correlation with respect to PPS, SF 36 main scores, depression, and clinical stress scores (all <italic>p</italic> < 0.05). However, the BC group scored significantly lower than both HSG and LSG (both <italic>p</italic> < 0.05) with respect to self-evaluated stress. (2) The PPS-guided intervention group improved EORTC main score, pain and nausea, when compared to the control groups (all <italic>p</italic> < 0.05). <bold><italic>Conclusions.</italic></bold> PPS was positively associated with QOL, which was in contrast to self-evaluated stress. PPS-guided intervention improved QOL in women with breast cancer.</p> </abstract>