Physical activity and breast cancer-related lymphoedema: present trends

Abstract

Breast cancer affects 1 in 7 women. Physical activity is widely acknowledged as a key factor in breast cancer survivorship - improving quality of life, reducing cancer reoccurrence and mortality, and reducing treatment-related side effects such as fatigue and depression. However, only 26% of breast cancer survivors participate in regular physical activity, with levels of inactivity reported as 44.2% when they experience breast cancer-related lymphoedema. Breast cancer-related lymphoedema is a side effect of breast cancer treatment, occurring in 8.0-30.1% of breast cancer survivors. Clinical guidelines and recommendations advising on physical activity and breast cancer-related lymphoedema advise that physical activity is safe and should be advocated. However, inconsistencies remain surrounding the context of physical activity and its implementation in clinical practice. Registered nurses are required to use their knowledge and experience to inform evidence-based decisions. Therefore, it is the main aim of this article to increase the knowledge of nurses who come in contact with this patient population by providing an overview of the present trends for physical activity and breast cancer-related lymphoedema.

Keywords: Breast cancer; Guidelines; Lymphoedema; Physical activity; Resistance exercise.