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Introduction Treatment for breast cancer can cause adverse effects such as pain and reduced upper limb function which can affect activities of daily living. The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire is the most used tool for evaluating function in breast cancer survivors. However, some specific aspects have raised discussions about its restricted coverage, which can generate several biases. Objective To determine if DASH scores differed when assessed before and after task‐oriented training (TOT) at 3 and 6 months after breast cancer surgery. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Institutional study of 22 women assessed at 3 and 6 months after breast cancer surgery. Main Outcome Measures The DASH questionnaire and TOT assessment. Two correlation tests were performed: Spearman's correlation between the total score of the two DASH scores (pre‐ and post‐TOT) and the Kendall's tau correlation between each of the items. Results There was a moderate and excellent correlation between final DASH scores, pre‐ and post‐TOT, at both 3 and 6 months postoperatively. However, when assessed individually, most of the DASH items were poorly correlated. There was also no agreement between the total DASH scores pre‐ and post‐TOT as assessed by Bland‐Altman plots. Conclusion Both the DASH and TOT are considered useful in clinical practice to assess upper limb function, although the use of TOT in some of the DASH items may reduce memory bias and improve skills estimation.

Purpose: To map pain frequency and pain intensity according to activities in the physical domain of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire (DASH), at three, six and nine months after breast cancer surgery. In addition, to verify the correlation between upper limb function and pain intensity. Methods: This is a prospective cohort study, with follow-up at three time points. 22 Brazilian women diagnosed with breast cancer were included at three months after breast surgery. They performed the DASH questionnaire, the Body Pain Diagram and the Visual Analogue Scale. Frequency measures were used to analyze the frequency and intensity of pain in the items of the physical domain of the DASH. Pearson's correlation coefficient between pain intensity and the DASH total score at the three different times was calculated, a 95% confidence interval was set. Results: For twenty-two women at three, six and nine months after surgery, the body area with the highest pain frequency was the upper limb (UL) homolateral to the surgery, although, the contralateral UL was also cited as one of the areas with the highest pain frequency at sixth and ninth month. Pain intensity at three and six months remained mild and moderate in ninth month. The DASH activities with the highest pain frequency were: “putting something on a shelf above your head”, “doing heavy household chores” and “carrying a heavy object”. The correlation between pain intensity and function of the UL contralateral to surgery at nine months was strong (r=0,718; p0.01). Conclusion: The body area with the highest pain frequency at all three times points of analysis was the UL homolateral to the surgery, although the contralateral UL was also present in sixth and ninth month. There was an increase in pain intensity over time. The most painful activities were those that required large amplitudes in different planes of motion. At the ninth month, pain in the contralateral UL showed a strong correlation with limb dysfunction.