Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 28, 2025

A Quantitative Sensory Testing Paradigm to Obtain Measures of Pain Processing in Patients Undergoing Breast Cancer Surgery
Published on: January 18, 2018
Validation of pain catastrophizing scale on breast cancer survivor
David Pérez-Cruzado1,2, Cristina Roldan-Jimenez1,2, Marcos Iglesias-Campos3,4
1Departamento de Fisioterapia, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Málaga, Andalucía Tech., Málaga, Colombia.
Introduction:
Pain catastrophizing scale (PCS) is the most used scale to measure pain catastrophizing. In breast cancer survivors (BCS), pain catastrophizing is related to upper-limbs dysfunction and disability. This study aimed to assess the internal consistency, internal structure, and convergent validity of the Spanish version of the PCS in Spanish BCS.
Material And Methods:
Breast cancer survivors were recruited from the service of Medical Oncology of the University Clinical Hospital Virgen de la Victoria, in Málaga (Spain). The psychometric properties were evaluated with analysis factor structure by maximum likelihood extraction (MLE), internal consistency, and construct validity by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).
Results:
Factor structure was three-dimensional, and one item was removed due to cross-loading. The new 12-item PCS showed a high internal consistency for the total score (α = 0.91) and a good homogeneity, and CFA revealed a satisfactory fit. PCS showed an acceptable correlation with FACS (r = 0.53, p < 0.01).
Conclusion:
Pain catastrophizing scale is a valid and reliable instrument to evaluate pain catastrophizing in Spanish BCS. This tool may help clinicians in the management of pain by assessing pain and by measuring the effect of interventions.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Lazarus's Cognitive Appraisal Theory
Primary Appraisal:...
SBAR II: Application of SBAR
SBAR Report from a Nurse to a Health Care Provider
S: "Hello, Dr. Smith. This is Jane, RN, from the Med Surg unit. I am calling to tell you about Ms. White in Room 210, who is experiencing increased pain and redness at her incision site. Her recent...

