Perioperative cognitive behavioural therapy compared with pain education and mindfulness for chronic postsurgical pain in breast cancer patients with high pain catastrophising characteristics: a randomised, controlled, parallel group clinical trial
Authors' conclusion
Delivery of four one-to-one, perioperative CBT or PEM sessions to patients with high pain catastrophising characteristics achieved similar reductions in pain intensity at 3 months after breast cancer surgery.
Study context
- Population
- Women having primary breast cancer surgery with high pain catastrophising (pain catastrophising scale (PCS) ≥24)208 screened
- Participants
- 45 women
- Comparison
- Perioperative cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) vs pain education and mindfulness programme
- Primary endpoint
- Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) average pain severity
- Follow-up
- 3 months
Methodological detailsparallel group
- Parallel group
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
BPI average pain intensity score
Pain education and mindfulness (PEM)
0
median · IQR 0–1
CBT
0
median · IQR 0–1
P = 0.45
Secondary outcomes
Quality of recovery at 24 h, pain interference, pain catastrophising, anxiety, mood · 3 months
- No significant between group differences
Within-group change vs preoperative baseline · 3 months
- Pain interference improved (PEM / CBT)
- P = 0.05 / P=0.01
- Catastrophising improved (PEM / CBT)
- P < 0.01 / P<0.01
- Anxiety improved (PEM / CBT)
- P < 0.01 / P<0.01
- Mood improved (PEM / CBT)
- P = 0.03 / P=0.01
- Within group improvements in both arms
Original publication
Perioperative cognitive behavioural therapy compared with pain education and mindfulness for chronic postsurgical pain in breast cancer patients with high pain catastrophising characteristics: a randomised, controlled, parallel group clinical trial. BJA Open. Published 30 October 2025. doi:10.
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