Effects of non‐pharmacological interventions on preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery: A systematic review

Abstract Background Poorly managed preoperative anxiety and pain were reported to slow the postoperative recovery of breast cancer patients. Thus, proactive management using non‐pharmacological interventions becomes essential for decreasing opioid or anxiolytics consumption, anxiety level, pain intensity, postoperative complications and improving patients’ haemodynamics and satisfaction with care. Purpose To identify, analyse and synthesise the effects of non‐pharmacological interventions on preoperative anxiety and acute postoperative pain in women undergoing breast cancer surgery. Method For this systematic review, 12 databases including Ovid Nursing, PsycInfo, British Nursing Index, CINAHL, Cochrane Library were searched to identify relevant studies. A total of 6,012 articles were identified from the search, six RCTs and one quasi‐experimental study that met the inclusion criteria were included after eligibility screening. Narrative synthesis was used to analyse data extracted from the included articles. The review adhered to the PRISMA guideline. Results Twelve outcomes were measured in the included studies, including preoperative anxiety, and acute postoperative pain. Music, massage, aromatherapy and acupuncture were the interventions delivered. Music had a small‐to‐large effect size and aromatherapy had a small effect size on reducing preoperative anxiety. Also, music had a large effect size whilst acupuncture had a medium effect size on minimising postoperative pain in women undergoing breast cancer surgery. Conclusion Music, aromatherapy and acupuncture appeared to be effective for reducing preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain in women undergoing breast cancer surgery. However, the small number of studies available for each intervention prevents conclusive statements about which the most effective method. Implication for clinical practice A nursing care pathway that standardises the use of non‐pharmacological interventions for the management of both preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain in breast cancer surgery patients should be developed.