Exercise and Lymphedema in Context Cancer Rehabilitation. A Historical Review

Abstract

The historical review is based on key articles and systematic reviews including meta-analysis during the last decades and describes he development preceding the paradigm shift that has taken place in cancer rehabilitation, in particular in exercise and lymphedema. Cancer survivors were for long recommended to live a sedentary life as it was believed that vigorous exercise might provoke development of lymphedema. However, in the 1990ies it was found that the cancer survival rate was dependent on exercise level, and since then it has been proven, in breast cancer patients, that vigorous exercises is safe both for cancer survivors at risk of developing upper limb lymphedema and for those who already have one. Further research is needed for lower limb lymphedema, but there is reason to believe that exercise for these patients can be performed with similar protocol.