Women who undergo a mastectomy have to adjust to more than the physical change. "Phantom" pain and other sensations, similar to feelings experienced by limb amputees, are not uncommon in women who have had a mastectomy. Nearly 300 women filled out questionnaires answering questions about phantom breast sensations (PBS) and phantom breast pain (PBP). Nearly 50 percent of the women had reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy while 52 percent had a mastectomy alone. Almost 40 percent of these women reported PBS while 31 percent reported PBP. Sensations were described as itching, throbbing, "pins and needles" sensations and feelings of pressure. These "phantom" sensations may persist for months. Researchers believe phantom pain is the body's way of responding to trauma after amputation. Researchers predicted women who had undergone reconstructive surgery after mastectomy would have a lower incidence of PBS and PBP but results of the study were surprising. Srinivasa Raja, M.D., from Johns Hopkins University, says, "Women who choose to have breast reconstruction surgery after mastectomy are just as likely to experience phantom breast sensations and pain as women who opt not to undergo breast reconstruction." Dr. Raja says, "The major predictor of PBS and PBP after mastectomy was the presence of breast pain prior to mastectomy. Breast pain before surgery doubled the incidence of postsurgical PBP and PBS." This research was presented at this week's meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists in San Francisco. Thanks to Ivanhoe Newswire Brit J Cancer, 1/05 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.