Dex & Mastectomy Pain

Brief summary (from the registry)

Chronic post-surgical pain is a common complication following mastectomy and represents a significant source of long-term morbidity. Pain that persists beyond the expected period of tissue healing can interfere with physical functioning, psychological well-being, and quality of life. Despite advances in surgical and anesthetic techniques, the mechanisms contributing to chronic postmastectomy pain remain incompletely understood. Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid routinely administered in the perioperative setting for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting. In addition to its antiemetic properties, dexamethasone has potent anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects that may influence tissue healing and pain processing pathways. Given its widespread use during surgery, understanding its potential impact on long-term pain outcomes is clinically relevant. Clinical observational studies examining the association between perioperative dexamethasone administration and chronic postmastectomy pain have not demonstrated a clear or consistent relationship. However, by design, observational studies cannot establish causality or definitively exclude a potential effect of perioperative dexamethasone on the development of chronic post-surgical pain. In contrast, preclinical studies using animal models of post-surgical pain have shown that perioperative exposure to dexamethasone may be associated with increased postoperative pain sensitivity and hyperalgesia. These findings suggest a potential biological mechanism through which perioperative corticosteroid administration could influence long-term pain outcomes, although their relevance to human surgical populations remains uncertain. To date, no randomized controlled trials have directly evaluated whether perioperative dexamethasone administration affects the incidence of chronic postmastectomy pain in humans. Given the routine use of dexamethasone in perioperative care, the absence of definitive clinical evidence, …

Study details

Official title

Does the Perioperative Administration of Dexamethasone Increase the Incidence of Chronic Postmastectomy Pain? A Double-blind Randomized Controlled Trial

Conditions

• Post-Mastectomy Chronic Pain Syndrome

Interventions

• Drug: Dexamethasone (intravenous)
• Drug: Normal Saline (0.9% NaCl)

Sponsor

McGill University Health Centre/Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre

Start date

2026-04-13

Primary completion

2028-03-31

Sex

Female

Age range

from 18 Years to 75 Years

Results posted

No results posted in this snapshot

Countries

Canada

Total sites listed

1

Eligibility criteria

Canadian sites (1)