Test-retest Agreement and Reliability of Quantitative Sensory Testing 1 Year After Breast Cancer Surgery

Abstract

The QST protocol reliability allows for group-to-group comparison of sensory function, but less so for individual follow-up after breast cancer surgery.

Association between sensory dysfunction and pain 1 week after breast cancer surgery: a psychophysical study

“…The details and reliability of the QST protocol has been described elsewhere. Sensory dysfunction was in this manuscript defined as any sensory abnormality when compared to the contra lateral side or surrounding skin, in any of the measured modalities and specified further where necessary using IASP definitions.…”

Analgesic and Sensory Effects of the Pecs Local Anesthetic Block in Patients with Persistent Pain after Breast Cancer Surgery: A Pilot Study

“…Study participants were identified from a cohort of patients that had filled out questionnaires concerning pain after breast cancer surgery from previous studies . Inclusion criteria were women aged ≥ 18 years that had had breast cancer surgery, had pain in the breast > 6 months after surgery with a pain score ≥ 4 on the numerical rating scale (NRS) on a daily basis.…”

“…A standardized protocol was used for QST and consisted of sensory mapping, warmth detection thresholds (WDT), cool detection thresholds (CDT), heat pain thresholds (HPT), suprathreshold heat pain response (STH), and pressure pain thresholds (PPT). Sensory mapping delineated areas of hypo/hyperesthesia or allodynia using a brush, warm metal roller (40°C) and cool metal roller (25°C) (Somedic AB), which were run over the skin in the breast, axilla, arm, anterior, and lateral and posterior chest wall.…”

Quantitative Sensory Testing in Pain Management

“…Although QST allows for group-to-group comparison of sensory function, the use of QST to evaluate individual cases is limited [59]. Studies currently in progress are exploring the applicability of a simplified version for QST that might be applicable to individual clinical cases.…”