Exploring the Influencing Factors of Quality of Life During Maintenance Phase in Patients With Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema.

PURPOSE: This study aims to understand the degree of influence of the severity of lymphedema on quality of life (QOL) in patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) during the maintenance phase, and to understand the influencing factors of QOL to identify targeted interventions to improve QOL for patients with BCRL.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted among patients with BCRL who underwent complete decongestive therapy during the intensive phase of BCRL treatment from January 2022 to December 2024 at the lymphedema outpatient clinic. General information and the specific QOL scale for upper limb lymphedema were collected. One-way ANOVA and multiple linear regression were used in IBM SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 25to analyze factors affecting QOL.

RESULTS

This study included a total of 153 patients, with an overall QOL score of 48.52 plus or minus 12.112. Multivariate linear analysis indicated that the time from discovery of lymphedema to treatment and the severity of lymphedema affected the QOL of patients with BCRL during the maintenance phase.

CONCLUSION

Long-term monitoring and timely treatment are necessary for patients with BCRL. Before the start of the maintenance phase, it is important for lymphedema therapists to treat BCRL disease as soon as possible.