Evaluating the effectiveness of three exercise programs and intensive follow-up in improving quality of life, pain, and lymphedema among breast cancer survivors

The study evaluated the effectiveness of three exercise programs in improving quality of life (QOL), pain, and lymphedema among breast cancer (BC) survivors. The study found that joint mobility exercise (JME) combined with progressive resistance exercise (PRE) showed promising results in improving QOL and lymphedema after BC surgery.

BC is the most common type of cancer among women. The main treatment is a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormonal therapy, and other types of therapies. After BC treatment, patients commonly experience symptoms such as pain and lymphedema which can interfere with a patient’s overall QOL. Lymphedema refers to swelling of the tissues in the arm near the affected breast due to the build-up of lymph fluid which causes the arm to not function well.

Usually, doctors recommend physical activity to improve the overall QOL in BC survivors. The Chinese guidelines recommend exercises such as JME need to be done after surgery while the American guidelines suggest exercises such as PRE and aerobic exercises (AE) to improve QOL.

However, combining the exercises from both guidelines has not been explored. In addition to exercises, an intensive follow-up (IF) is necessary to know the outcomes of the exercise programs.

The study involved 200 female patients who underwent BC surgery. These patients were then randomly assigned to 4 different groups. Group 1 included JME and IF. Group 2 included JME, AE, and IF. Group 3 included JME, PRE, and IF, and group 4 included JME only. The outcomes were measured at the beginning of the study, 3 months, and 6 months after the intervention.

All groups had significant improvements in QOL at follow-up compared to the beginning of the study. However, QOL improved significantly more over time in group 3 compared to the other groups.

Except for group 4, all other groups had significantly lower pain compared to the beginning of the study. However, after 6 months, patients in group 2 had significantly lower levels of pain compared to the other 3 groups.

At 3 and 6 months of follow-up, groups 2 and 3 had a significantly lower occurrence of lymphedema compared to groups 1 and 4. 

The study concluded that JME with PRE or AE was effective in improving QOL and preventing lymphedema after surgery for BC.

The study was done in China only and does not represent the general population. The duration of the study was short. A longer study is needed.