Functional status, depression, and quality of life in female patients with postmastectomy lymphedema

Background

This study aimed to evaluate QOL in female patients who had developed lymphedema (LE) following unilateral breast cancer surgery and investigate its relationship to shoulder pain, sleep and depression.

Methods

A total of 69 female patients who had undergone unilateral mastectomy because of breast cancer and had been diagnosed with LE and 69 healthy controls were included in the study. While the QOL of participants was evaluated by the Short Form-36 (SF-36), depression levels were determined by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and quality of sleep was evaluated by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Shoulder pain on the operated side in the patient group was appraised by the visual analogue scale (VAS).

Results

This study revealed that LE patients had increased levels of depression, sleep disorders, and arm pain, while a decrease was found in the level of upper extremity functions and QOL. Therefore QOL, depression, and sleep disorders should be investigated in detail alongside upper extremity problems in the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with postmastectomy LE.

Conclusion

Postmastectomy LE causes chronic pain and depression and impairs patients’ functionality and QOL.