Effect of estrogen depletion on pain sensitivity in aromatase inhibitor-treated women with early-stage breast cancer.

ABSTRACT:

Unlabelled

Aromatase inhibitors (AIs), which are used to treat breast cancer, inhibit estrogen production in postmenopausal women. AI-associated musculoskeletal symptoms occur in approximately half of treated women and lead to treatment discontinuation in 20 to 30%. The etiology may be due in part to estrogen deprivation. In premenopausal women, lower estrogen levels have been associated with increased pain as well as with impairment of descending pain inhibitory pathways, which may be a risk factor for developing chronic pain. We prospectively tested whether AI-induced estrogen deprivation alters pain sensitivity, thereby increasing the risk of developing AI-associated musculoskeletal symptoms. Fifty postmenopausal breast cancer patients underwent pressure pain testing and conditi

SUBMITTER: Henry NL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4063362 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature