(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The breast cancer battle doesn't end after treatment is completed. A new study shows almost 50 percent of women experience pain up to three years after treatment, some every day.

In a study conducted at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, researchers examined the prevalence and severity of chronic pain in nearly 4,000 breast cancer patients an average of 26 months after surgery. They found 47 percent reported pain, with 13 percent reporting severe pain. Another 39 percent reported moderate pain, and 48 percent reported light pain. Of the women who reported severe pain, 77 percent experienced it every day.

Patients who received radiation therapy in addition to surgery were more likely to have continued pain. Younger age at treatment also increased the risk of prolonged pain.