The Clinical journal of pain
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Do Resting Plasma Beta-Endorphin Levels Predict Responses to Opioid Analgesics?
Clinically feasible predictors of opioid analgesic responses for use in precision pain medicine protocols are needed. This study evaluated whether resting plasma β-endorphin (BE) levels predicted responses to an opioid analgesic, and whether chronic pain status or sex moderated these effects. ⋯ BE was a predictor of morphine analgesia for only 3 out of 9 outcomes examined, with these effects moderated by chronic pain status but not sex. On the whole, results do not suggest that resting plasma BE levels are likely to be a clinically useful predictor of opioid analgesic responses.
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This study compared persistent breast pain among women who received breast-conserving surgery for breast cancer and women without a history of breast cancer. ⋯ Results indicate that persistent breast pain negatively impacts women with a history of breast-conserving cancer surgery compared with women without that history. Strategies to ameliorate persistent breast pain and to improve adjustment among women with persistent breast pain should be explored for incorporation into standard care for breast cancer survivors.