Shoulder Pain, Kinesiophobia, Emotional State and Muscle Strength in Breast Cancer Surgery Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women. The life expectancy of patients is increasing with advances in treatment. However, lymphovascular, musculoskeletal, and psychogenic complications are reported to be expected in the follow-up period after breast cancer surgery. Kinesiophobia is the behavior of avoiding movement for fear of increased pain. Research on the frequency and interrelationships of kinesiophobia and other complications in the follow-up period is limited. Aim: We aim to evaluate shoulder pain, kinesiophobia, emotional state and muscle strength in female patients who have undergone breast cancer surgery and are in the follow-up period and to examine the relationship between these factors. Materials and Methods: A total of 50 female patients who underwent unilateral breast cancer surgery and were using aromatase inhibitors were included in this cross-sectional descriptive study. Demographic data, details of the surgical procedure and medical treatment information were recorded from the patient files. Hand grip muscle strength was measured by hand dynamometer, the Beck Depression Scale assessed emotional state, and the Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale assessed fear of movement. A Beck Depression Scale score of 10 and above and a Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale of 37 and above were considered significant. Results: The mean age of 50 female patients was 59.31 ± 11.19 years. Sixty percent of the patients had undergone surgery on the right breast and 40% on the left breast. Shoulder pain (n:31) was present in 62%. There were statistically significant correlations between pain and the Tampa kinesiophobia scale and the Beck depression scale (p:0.042, p:0.038). Kinesiophobia was present in 74% of the patients, and 64% had moderate to severe depression. The mean of the Tampa Kinesiophobia scale was 42.86±8.81, and the mean of the Beck depression scale was 15.19±10.98. When the relationship between kinesiophobia and depression was evaluated, a statistically positive significant relationship was found between them (p=0.005, r=0.410). The hand grip strength was 22.16±5.00 kg on the right and 18.22±5.10 kg on the left in patients who underwent left-sided breast cancer surgery. A significant difference was found in the left- and right-hand grip strength of those who underwent left-sided surgery for breast cancer (p