Almost half of breast cancer surgery patients in a recent study reported significant pain years after surgery, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.


The New York City medical malpractice attorneys and cancer surgery malpractice lawyers at Queller, Fisher, Washor, Fuchs & Kool represent clients whose cancer was misdiagnosed, who suffered a delay in diagnosis or suffered as a result of surgical, doctor or hospital negligence in the treatment of cancer.

The New York Times reported that the persistent pain was most likely to effect women under 40, those who had undergone radiation treatment and those who had surgery to remove lymph nodes in the armpit as opposed to a less invasive procedure called a sentinel node biopsy, which can be used to determine whether the cancer has spread.

JAMA acknowledged persistent pain and sensory disturbances following breast cancer surgery is a significant clinical problem that could be related to a number of factors-- including patient characteristics and surgical technique.

The study, in the Nov. 11 issue of JAMA, is one of the largest to assess persistent pain in breast cancer patients; it looked at questionnaires completed last year by 3,253 women treated for breast cancer in 2005 and 2006.

Forty-seven percent of the patients, 1,543 in all, reported pain in one or more areas, usually the armpit, breast and side. Of those, 1 in 5 were uncomfortable enough to have recently consulted a doctor about the ongoing pain.

More than half --58 percent or 1,882 women -- reported "sensory disturbances" like burning sensations and numbness.