Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 May;307(5):1529-1537.
doi: 10.1007/s00404-022-06609-x. Epub 2022 Jul 26.

The impact of rehabilitation sport on breast cancer-related lymphoedema and quality of life

Bettina Boeer  1 , Anna Seller  2 , Birgitt Schoenfisch  3 , Ute Krainick-Strobel  4 , Andreas Dietrich  5 , Sara Y Brucker  2 , Diethelm Wallwiener  2 , Andreas Niess  6 , Markus Hahn  2
Affiliations

The impact of rehabilitation sport on breast cancer-related lymphoedema and quality of life

Bettina Boeer et al. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2023 May.

Abstract

Purpose: Surgery and radiotherapy as part of breast cancer treatment can lead to lymphoedema of the upper extremities (breast cancer-related lymphoedema = BCRL) and reduce the quality of life (health-related quality of life = HRQoL). The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of paddling in a dragon boat (PP) on HRQoL and BCRL in breast cancer survivors (BCS).

Methods: Between April and October 2017, a prospective case-control study evaluated the effects of PP compared to a control group. In the paddle group (n = 28), weekly arm circumference measurements were taken at four defined anatomic areas of the arm before and after training; in the control group (n = 70), the measurements were taken once a month. At the beginning and end of the study, questionnaires from both groups (SF 36, EORTC QLQ C30) were evaluated to understand the differences in HRQoL.

Results: The paddle group started with a higher HRQoL compared to the control group. Most interesting, whether the affected or unaffected arm, whether before or after training-the arm circumference decreased over time in the paddling group. A pre-existing lymphoedema was not negatively influenced by paddling. In the paddle group, the physical health was constant over the season, while the physical health of the control group decreased significantly over time.

Conclusion: PP in a dragon boat does not lead to the development or worsening of pre-existing lymphoedema due to breast cancer therapy, and seems to have a positive effect on the quality of life.

Keywords: Breast cancer; Dragon boat; Lymphoedema; Quality of life; Rehabilitation; Sports.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flowchart: recruitment of study participants + study schedule
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Physical and mental summary scales of SF 36
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. DiSipio T, Rye S, Newman B, Hayes S. Incidence of unilateral arm lymphoedema after breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Oncol. 2013;14(6):500–515. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(13)70076-7. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Cavanaugh KM. Effects of early exercise on the development of lymphedema in patients with breast cancer treated with axillary lymph node dissection. J Oncol Pract. 2011;7(2):89–93. doi: 10.1200/JOP.2010.000136. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cormie P, Galvao DA, Spry N, Newton RU. Neither heavy nor light load resistance exercise acutely exacerbates lymphedema in breast cancer survivor. Integr Cancer Ther. 2013;12(5):423–432. doi: 10.1177/1534735413477194. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Cormie P, Pumpa K, Galvao DA, Turner E, Spry N, Saunders C, et al. Is it safe and efficacious for women with lymphedema secondary to breast cancer to lift heavy weights during exercise: a randomised controlled trial. J Cancer Surviv. 2013;7(3):413–424. doi: 10.1007/s11764-013-0284-8. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Hayes SC, Reul-Hirche H, Turner J. Exercise and secondary lymphedema: safety, potential benefits, and research issues. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):483–489. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31818b98fb. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types