Effects of exercise and oedema massage on fatigue level and quality of life of female breast cancer patients

Abstract Aim: To investigate the effect of exercise and oedema massage on the quality of life (QoL) and level of fatigue (LOF) of female patients with stage II and III breast cancer. Method: Twenty-seven female patients with stage II and III breast cancer whose ages ranged from 33 to 80 years participated in this study. Participants were randomized into two groups A and B. Participants in groups A received therapeutic exercises and massage, while those in group B received only therapeutic exercises. QoL and LOF were assessed before and 6 weeks after intervention, using a European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and Energy/Fatigue Scale, respectively. Result: There was a significant improvement (p < 0.05) between the pre- and post-intervention QoL scores of participants in study group A, and between the post-intervention QoL scores of participants in study group A and control group B (p < 0.05). There was also a significant improvement (p < 0.05) in the LOF between the pre- and post-intervention scores for participants in groups A and B, respectively, and between the post-intervention scores of the participants in the groups A and B (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Combined exercise and massage improved the QoL and LOF of female patients with stage II and III breast cancer compared with exercise alone.