Effect of Topical Cryotherapy on Clinical Outcomes of Patients with Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema

Sobh, Huda Rady; Elsherbiny, Ola Ebrahim; El-Refaay, Eman R.; Abd-Elghany, , Soad Mohammed

doi:10.21608/tsnj.2023.315191

Effect of Topical Cryotherapy on Clinical Outcomes of Patients with Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Lecturer of Medical-Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Mansoura University, Egypt.

² Lecturer of Community Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Mansoura University, Egypt

³ Lecturer of Medical-Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Mansoura University, Egypt

10.21608/tsnj.2023.315191

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer-related lymphedema is a prevalent complication of breast cancer
treatment. It has a significant negative impact on patients ‘physical and psychological well-being
and overall quality of life. Cryotherapy gained universal acceptance for its therapeutic effects on
controlling various forms of edema when used in conjunction with conservative treatments for
patients with lymphedema. Aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of topical cryotherapy on
the clinical outcomes of patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema. Subjects and
methods: A quasi-experimental research design was utilized to carry out this study. A purposive
sample of 84 adult women who had breast cancer-related lymphedema was divided into two
equal groups. Tools: Four tools were used to collect data, as follows: Tool I: Patients’
demographic characteristics and health-related data; Tool II: Manual circumference
measurement, Tool III: Lymphedema tracking tool; and Tool IV: Numerical Rating Scale (NRS).
Results: The present study showed that there were statistically significant differences between
the control and study groups regarding total mean scores of lymphedema-related symptoms and
pain scores post-intervention (P < 0.05). Moreover, there was a significant improvement in the
total mean scores of the patients’ arm circumferences in the study group after intervention; wrist
measurement improved from 18.15 (1.97) to 16.98 (1.27), forearm from 27.26 (2.84) to 25.49
(2.11), and upper arm from 38.2 (3.36) to 36.17 (2.66). Conclusion: The study results indicated
that cryotherapy is an effective complementary modality for the treatment of breast cancerrelated lymphedema. Recommendations: It is recommended to include cryotherapy in physical
therapy protocols for lymphedema rehabilitation, develop educational programs and guidelines
for safe application in clinical settings, and evaluate long-term effects