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Supportive Care in Cancer

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01-01-2017 | Original Article

Effects of resistance exercise in women with or at risk for breast cancer-related lymphedema

Authors: Emily Simonavice, Jeong-Su Kim, Lynn Panton

Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer | Issue 1/2017

Abstract

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Breast cancer survivors (BCS) have been told in the past to avoid strenuous repetitive activities in order to decrease the risk of lymphedema development. Recent evidence suggests that exercise may be beneficial to decrease the signs/symptoms and development of lymphedema.

Purpose/methods

This study assessed the arm circumferences of 27 BCS (64 ± 7 years) at baseline and every 2 weeks thereafter during a 6-month resistance exercise training (RT) intervention. RT consisted of 2 days/week of 10 exercises including two sets of 8–12 repetitions at 52–69 % of the participants’ one-repetition maximum.

Results

A repeated measure analysis of variance revealed no significant changes in percent difference of arm circumferences at any assessment point (pre, 1.31 ± 6.21 %; post, 0.62 ± 6.55 %), nor were there any adverse lymphedema-related events reported during the study.

Conclusions

These findings imply that RT can be a safe activity for women with or at risk for breast cancer-related lymphedema.

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Title: Effects of resistance exercise in women with or at risk for breast cancer-related lymphedema
Authors: Emily Simonavice
Jeong-Su Kim
Lynn Panton
Publication date: 01-01-2017
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer / Issue 1/2017
Print ISSN: 0941-4355
Electronic ISSN: 1433-7339
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-016-3374-0

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Abstract

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Purpose/methods

Results

Conclusions

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