ORIGINAL ARTICLE Prevalence of Phantom Breast Pain and Sensation Among Postmastectomy Patients Suffering from Breast Cancer: A Prospective Study Arif Ahmed, MD; Sushma Bhatnagar, MD; Shiv Pratap Singh Rana, MD; Syed Mehmood Ahmad, DA; Saurabh Joshi, DNB; Seema Mishra, MD Department of Anaesthesia, Pain and Palliative Care, Dr. BRA Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India & Abstract Background: With the advent of newer treatment modal- ities, survival rate among breast cancer patients has improved substantially over the last few years. Hence, the concern has also shifted to the impact of treatment, side effects, and the morbidities arising from disease management. Among them is the development of phantom breast pain (PBP) and sensation (PBS) after mastectomy. Methods: After obtaining ethical committee approval, 80 patients suffering from carcinoma breast undergoing modified radical mastectomy were enrolled into the study. They were assessed preoperatively for presence of breast pain, disease, and surgical concerns and followed up postoperatively at 6 weeks, 6 and 12 months, respectively, for development of PBP and PBS, and other associated effects. Results: The prevalence of PBP and PBS was 5.4%, 9.5% at 6 weeks, 8.2%, 6.8% at 6 months, and 13.6% and 17% at 12 months, respectively. There was high prevalence of depression, sleep disturbance, and anxiolytic intake among the patients with PBP and PBS (P value < 0.05). Conclusion: The prevalence of PBP and PBS was very low and of minor clinical significance. There was higher prevalence of depression, sleep disturbances, and anxiolytic intake among the patients with PBP and PBS, but it did not result in any significant impact on the patients daily activities. & Key Words: phantom breast pain, phantom breast sensation, carcinoma breast, modified radical mastectomy INTRODUCTION During the last century, rapid development has occurred in various fields of science which has improved quality of life of patients. Earlier, cancer was considered an incurable condition, but with the advent of modern diagnostic and therapeutic modalities and increasing awareness among the population, survivability among the breast cancer patients has improved. The focus has now shifted to the morbidities arising out from breast cancer treatment. One of the conditions arising out of the treatment of breast cancer is the development of phantom syndrome after modified radical mastec- tomy. 1–4 Phantom syndrome occurs after amputations of limbs and various organs. 5,6 Phantom limb phenomenon has been widely described and studied. Phantom breast Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Sushma Bhatnagar, MD, Department of Anesthesiology, Room No-242, DR. BRA-IRCH, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110029, India. E- mail: sushmabhatnagar1@gmail.com. Submitted: March 07, 2013; Revision accepted: April 22, 2013 DOI. 10.1111/papr.12089 © 2013 World Institute of Pain, 1530-7085/13/$15.00 Pain Practice, Volume , Issue , 2013 –