Three-Month Functional Exercise Reduces Upper Limb Lymphedema after Breast Cancer Surgery: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial.

This prospective randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigates the impact of a functional rehabilitation management model on postoperative lymphedema and quality of life in breast cancer patients through a systematic intervention approach. A cohort of 120 breast cancer patients diagnosed in 2024 was randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 60) receiving standard care plus a 3-month combined rehabilitation exercise program or a control group (n = 60) receiving standard care alone. Post-intervention comparisons assessed Constant-Murley Score (CMS) for shoulder function, incidence of breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL), and differences in Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B), Basic Psychological Needs Scale (BPNS), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores between baseline and post-intervention assessments. The experimental group demonstrated significantly higher scores in shoulder function assessments (strength, pain, range of motion, and activities of daily living) compared to the control group. Additionally, the incidence of BCRL was markedly lower in the experimental group. Binary logistic regression analysis identified functional rehabilitation as an independent predictive factor for BCRL occurrence. Post-intervention, the exercise group exhibited substantially higher FACT-B and BPNS scores alongside significantly lower HADS scores than the control group (all P < 0.005). In conclusion, these findings provide evidence that implementing a combined resistance and aerobic exercise regimen within an exercise-based intervention for breast cancer patients enhances shoulder girdle and upper limb function, diminishes the incidence of postoperative lymphedema, thereby improving quality of life and sustaining favorable psychological well-being.