The Perioperative Educational Program for Improving Upper Arm Dysfunction in Patients with Breast Cancer: A Controlled Trial

Arinaga

et al. 2016

Tohoku J. Exp. Med.

Self Cite

The many women with breast cancer who underwent axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) suffer from the upper arm dysfunction. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of a perioperative educational program for improving upper arm dysfunction in breast cancer patients following ALND. This study was a sub-analysis of a previous controlled trial with an educational program. The subjects of this analysis included 64 patients following ALND who completed measurements at 12 months. The perioperative educational program consisted of monitoring of arm dysfunction, exercises, massage, and lifestyle adjustments. The intervention group (37 patients) received this perioperative educational program over 12 months, while 27 patients in the control group received written information about shoulder exercise from on-site staff only before surgery. Primary outcomes were shoulder range of motion (ROM), arm girth, and grip strength. Secondary outcomes were evaluated with the Subjective Perception of Post-Operative Functional Impairment of the Arm (SPOFIA) scores, the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) scores, and the Medical Outcome Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey v2 (SF-36v2). The SF-36v2 measures health-related quality of life (QOL). Primary and secondary outcomes were compared between groups at 1 week (after drainage tube removal) and 12 months after surgery, using the Mann-Whitney U test. The horizontal extension was significantly improved only in the intervention group. Moreover, the SPOFIA score was significantly improved in the intervention group, and other scores of the secondary outcomes were similar between the two groups. The perioperative educational program may improve postoperative upper arm dysfunction and symptoms.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Perioperative Educational Program for Improving Upper Arm Dysfunction in Patients with Breast Cancer at 1-Year Follow-Up: A Prospective, Controlled Trial

Arinaga

et al. 2016

Tohoku J. Exp. Med.

Self Cite

“…Concerning the intervention, the present study implemented a protocol with three components, namely functional recovery, scar recovery, and educational tips, distributed over a minimum of four and a maximum of six sessions supervised by a physical therapist. Previous research has only reported the implementation of educational programs based on preoperative information regarding possible side effects and education on the precautions after surgery [23,24] and physical therapy sessions during hospitalization [23]. When patients were discharged, they were encouraged to perform self-care.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The importance of early rehabilitation in the management of postsurgical complications in the upper limb after ALND and SLNB has been highlighted [15][16][17], but most research has focused on post-ALND physical therapy and/or educational programs [18][19][20][21][22]. Research investigating early rehabilitation after SLNB is scarce [23,24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, 17.2% of women in the experimental group needed prescription of outpatient physical therapy at that moment. Similarly, Sato et al [24] implemented an educational intervention before surgery for the prevention of side effects. Upper limb function and grip strength were significantly improved in the intervention group with ALND, but there was no significant improvement in the patients who underwent SLNB (Table S1 and Figure S1).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Early Physical Rehabilitation after Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Breast Cancer: Is It Feasible and Safe?

Ostos-Díaz

Casuso-Holgado

Muñoz-Fernández

et al. 2020

IJERPH

The primary purpose of this research was to investigate the feasibility and safety of delivering an early supervised physical therapy intervention to women after sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB); furthermore, we aimed to provide explorative data on its effects. This was a single-site feasibility study. Pre- and post-evaluation was conducted from baseline to follow-up at 6 months. Primary outcomes were participant recruitment, participant retention, compliance with the intervention, and safety. Secondary outcomes were shoulder range of motion, handgrip strength, upper limb pain and disability, scar recovery, quality of life, and the incidence of axillary web syndrome (AWS) and/or lymphoedema. A total of 43 participants (mean age 55.37 years) completed the trial and the follow-up period. A total of 91% of women who met the inclusion criteria agreed to participate, and the adherence rate was 80%. No adverse events were reported. Incidence of AWS was 9.3%, and there was no incidence of lymphoedema at 6 months. Our results support that this intervention is feasible and safe. The results presented in this study also provide preliminary evidence for the use of a rehabilitation program as a supportive intervention after SLNB, but future research on effectiveness is needed.

Breast Cancer Res Treat

A systematic review of multimodal prehabilitation in breast cancer

Toohey

Hunter

McKinnon

et al. 2022

Purpose Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy in women. Prehabilitation may offer improvements in physical and psychological wellbeing among participants prior to treatment. This systematic review aimed to determine the efficacy of prehabilitation in participants diagnosed with breast cancer. Methods A systematic review was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Guidelines. Studies exploring the impact of prehabilitation in participants with breast cancer were included. Studies were assessed independently according to pre-eligibility criteria, with data extraction and methodological quality assessed in parallel. Results 3184 records were identified according to our search criteria, and 14 articles were included. Articles comprised of quantitative randomised controlled trials (n = 7), quantitative non-randomised studies (n = 5), a qualitative study (n = 1), and a mixed-method study (n = 1). The majority of selected studies completed exercise programs (n = 4) or had exercise components (n = 2), with two focusing on upper-limb exercise. Five articles reported complementary and alternative therapies (n = 5). Two articles reported smoking cessation (n = 2), with a single study reporting multi-modal prehabilitation (n = 1). Mostly, prehabilitation improved outcomes including physical function, quality of life, and psychosocial variables (P < 0.05). The qualitative data identified preferences for multimodal prehabilitation, compared to unimodal with an interest in receiving support for longer. Conclusions Prehabilitation for patients with breast cancer is an emerging research area that appears to improve outcomes, however, ensuring that adequate intervention timeframes, follow-up, and population groups should be considered for future investigations. Implications for Cancer Survivors The implementation of prehabilitation interventions for individuals diagnosed with breast cancer should be utilised by multidisciplinary teams to provide holistic care to patients as it has the potential to improve outcomes across the cancer care trajectory.