Measurement of objective shoulder function following breast cancer surgery: a scoping review protocol

Abstract

Background: Decreased shoulder function is frequently experienced by breast cancer survivors following surgery, and it is associated with both decreased ability to perform daily living tasks and decreased overall quality of life, even several years post-surgery. Shoulder function is often measured with self-reported questionnaires. If objective measurements are taken, they are frequently restricted to range of motion measurement in the cardinal planes of movement. It is not known to what extent shoulder motion in more functional tasks has been investigated. Objectives: This review aims to determine what is known about the objectively evaluated shoulder function following breast cancer and to determine what are the most frequently used methods for evaluation. Methods: This protocol outlines the steps that will be taken to conduct a high quality scoping review on the objective measurement of shoulder function in breast cancer survivors. A comprehensive search of several databases will be performed to identify all relevant research. All identified studies will be screened and those including the objective measurement of shoulder function of breast cancer survivors post-surgery will be included. Data will be extracted by two reviewers and results will be consolidated and presented in narrative form as well as tables and figures. Conclusion: The resulting synthesis of the literature will provide a comprehensive overview of the current methods of evaluating shoulder function in breast cancer survivors. This review will elucidate gaps in knowledge regarding objective measurement of shoulder function and help to develop future research questions.