At a glance
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Effectiveness of Lymphedema Prevention Programs After Lymph Node Emptying in Breast Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial
In Brief
A clinical study evaluating Exercices, Informative talk, and 1 other intervention for Lymphedema and 3 related conditions. Completed, enrolled 70 participants.
Detailed Summary
ABSTRACT Object: The impact of morbidity and the deterioration in health-related quality of life for patients with lymphedema after axillary lymph node dissection for breast cancer justify the implementation of prevention programs to decrease the incidence of this chronic condition. The aim was to compare the effectiveness of an experimental prevention program with that of our conventional prevention program. Methods: Clinical randomized trial in two parallel groups over a two-year period. Key words: lymphedema, breast cancer, prevention, rehabilitation
Study Details
Timeline
Interventions
An exercise program. Seven days after lymph node removal, participants began this program at the physiotherapy department. They attended two weekly sessions of 60 minutes each. The sessions at the centre continued for 12 weeks. The program consisted of aerobic exercise, in combination with resistance and stretching exercises.
An informative talk: Patients attended a one-hour long talk about lymphedema. The topics covered were a description of the condition, the risks, and preventive measures to include in their daily life. The recommended measures were those from the general consensus of the International Lymphedema Society, the Spanish Rehabilitation Society and The National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Center
Wearing a flat knit compression garment (CG), class 1. Participants were recommended to wear this CG for an average of 8 hours during the daytime for the first 3 months after surgery, and to remove it at night. From the fourth month onwards, use of the garment was reduced to 2 hours a day, coinciding with exercises and physical activity.