{"title":"Efficacy of Therapeutic Ultrasound Added to Complex Decongestive Therapy in Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema.","authors":"Mihriban Cağlı, Burcu Duyur Çakıt, Secil Pervane","doi":"10.1089/lrb.2023.0019","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Objective:</i></b> To determine the efficacy of therapeutic ultrasound (TUS) added to complex decongestive therapy (CDT) in patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). <b><i>Materials and Methods:</i></b> Thirty female volunteer patients who developed stage 2-3 BCRL were included in the study. The patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: standard treatment with CDT alone and CDT + TUS. Before the study, both groups were given a training and home program consisting of remedial exercises and skin care. All patients received 15 sessions of treatment over 3 weeks. Circumferential and ultrasonographic (USG) measurements of all patients were performed before and after treatment. Treatment efficacy was evaluated based on extremity volume and soft tissue thickness. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The demographic data and volume measurements of the patients were similar at the beginning of treatment. There was a statistically significant decrease in the affected extremity in both groups in posttreatment circumferential measurements. However, the reductions in volume difference and volume difference percentage were significantly higher in the CDT + TUS group (<i>p</i> = 0.001 and <i>p</i> = 0.002, respectively). In the USG measurements, a greater decrease was observed in the soft tissue thickness below the elbow in the CDT + TUS group compared with the CDT alone group (<i>p</i> = 0.003). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> In the treatment of BCRL, TUS added to CDT resulted in a reduction in lymphedema. We consider that when added to CDT, TUS can increase the efficacy of treatment by reducing lymphedema in stages 2 and 3 lymphedema cases.</p>","PeriodicalId":18168,"journal":{"name":"Lymphatic research and biology","volume":" ","pages":"272-280"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Lymphatic research and biology","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1089/lrb.2023.0019","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/3/5 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"MEDICINE, RESEARCH & EXPERIMENTAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective: To determine the efficacy of therapeutic ultrasound (TUS) added to complex decongestive therapy (CDT) in patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). Materials and Methods: Thirty female volunteer patients who developed stage 2-3 BCRL were included in the study. The patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: standard treatment with CDT alone and CDT + TUS. Before the study, both groups were given a training and home program consisting of remedial exercises and skin care. All patients received 15 sessions of treatment over 3 weeks. Circumferential and ultrasonographic (USG) measurements of all patients were performed before and after treatment. Treatment efficacy was evaluated based on extremity volume and soft tissue thickness. Results: The demographic data and volume measurements of the patients were similar at the beginning of treatment. There was a statistically significant decrease in the affected extremity in both groups in posttreatment circumferential measurements. However, the reductions in volume difference and volume difference percentage were significantly higher in the CDT + TUS group (p = 0.001 and p = 0.002, respectively). In the USG measurements, a greater decrease was observed in the soft tissue thickness below the elbow in the CDT + TUS group compared with the CDT alone group (p = 0.003). Conclusion: In the treatment of BCRL, TUS added to CDT resulted in a reduction in lymphedema. We consider that when added to CDT, TUS can increase the efficacy of treatment by reducing lymphedema in stages 2 and 3 lymphedema cases.
期刊介绍:
Lymphatic Research and Biology delivers the most current peer-reviewed advances and developments in lymphatic biology and pathology from the world’s leading biomedical investigators. The Journal provides original research from a broad range of investigative disciplines, including genetics, biochemistry and biophysics, cellular and molecular biology, physiology and pharmacology, anatomy, developmental biology, and pathology.
Lymphatic Research and Biology coverage includes:
-Vasculogenesis and angiogenesis
-Genetics of lymphatic disorders
-Human lymphatic disease, including lymphatic insufficiency and associated vascular anomalies
-Physiology of intestinal fluid and protein balance
-Immunosurveillance and immune cell trafficking
-Tumor biology and metastasis
-Pharmacology
-Lymphatic imaging
-Endothelial and smooth muscle cell biology
-Inflammation, infection, and autoimmune disease