Abstract
Background: Breast cancer is among the most prevalent malignancies in women worldwide, with substantial morbidity and mortality. Upper limb lymphedema (ULL) is a common complication after breast cancer surgery that affects patients' daily activities and quality of life. Decongestive lymphatic therapy (DLT) and intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) therapy are two primary treatment methods for ULL. Objectives: This study aims to compare the efficacy of DLT with IPC versus DLT alone in the management of ULL following breast cancer surgery. Method: PubMed Central, SCOPUS, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane trial registry, Google Scholar, and Clinicaltrials.gov databases were comprehensively searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing DLT with IPC and DLT alone in patients with breast cancer-related ULL. Risk of bias was evaluated using the RoB 2 tool. Pooled effect sizes were calculated using random-effects models. Results: A total of 1894 citations were identified by the systematic search. Of them, 9 RCTs were included in the analysis. The pooled SMD for percentage volume reduction was 0.63 (95%CI: -0.24 to 1.50; I2=90.9%), showing no significant difference between the DLT alone and DLT combined with IPC (p=0.15). Pain and heaviness scores were also comparable between the groups. However, there was a significant difference in external rotation joint mobility (SMD=0.62; 95%CI: 0.08-1.16; I2=23.8%), favouring DLT with IPC. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that DLT with IPC and DLT alone showed similar findings in managing ULL after breast cancer surgery, with DLT with IPC showing a greater impact on external rotation joint mobility. Healthcare providers should consider patient preferences and individual factors when selecting the most appropriate treatment modality for ULL management.
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