SynthesisPsycho-oncology2013
Psychosocial impact of lymphedema: a systematic review of literature from 2004 to 2011.
Synthesis in Psycho-oncology, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07257679 (The Effects of 'Gentle Touch' in the Management of Lymphedema in Women Treated for Breast Cancer), which is not on this map. Cited by 140 papers, 11 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
The Effects of 'Gentle Touch' in the Management of Lymphedema in Women Treated for Breast Cancer: A Preliminary Single-blind, Parallel-group Randomized Controlled Trial.
Who cites it
140 citing papers in PubMed, 11 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 345 citations in OpenAlex.
- Interventions to improve the psychosocial outcomes of individuals with lymphedema: a systematic review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Pooled it
- A systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the effect of exercise on the development of cancer-related lymphedema.JNCI cancer spectrum · 2026Pooled it
- Microsurgical versus complex physical decongestive therapy for chronic breast cancer-related lymphoedema.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025Pooled it
- Conservative medical intervention as a complement to CDT for BCRL therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in oncology · 2024Pooled it
- A systematic review of validated assessments methods for head and neck lymphedema.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2023Pooled it
- Experiences of breast cancer survivors with lymphedema self-management: a systematic review of qualitative studies.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2023Pooled it
- Manual lymphatic drainage treatment for lymphedema: a systematic review of the literature.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2021Pooled it
- Pooled it
- What are the economic burden and costs associated with the treatment of breast cancer-related lymphoedema? A systematic review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2020Pooled it
- Clinical effectiveness of decongestive treatments on excess arm volume and patient-centered outcomes in women with early breast cancer-related arm lymphedema: a systematic review.JBI database of systematic reviews and implementation reports · 2018Pooled it
- Diagnosis of Upper Quadrant Lymphedema Secondary to Cancer: Clinical Practice Guideline From the Oncology Section of the American Physical Therapy Association.Physical therapy · 2017Guideline
- Economic evaluation of lymphaticovenous anastomosis versus conservative therapy for breast cancer-related lymphoedema: secondary outcome analysis of a randomized clinical trial.The British journal of surgery · 2026Trial
- A pragmatic evaluation of community-based lymphoedema services for individuals at risk of, or living with, cancer-related lymphoedema.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Trial
- Acupuncture Treatment for Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema: A Randomized Pilot Study.Lymphatic research and biology · 2023Trial
- Effect of exercise mode on physical function and quality of life in breast cancer-related lymphedema: a randomized trial.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2022Trial
- Breast cancer-related lymphedema and its treatment: how big is the financial impact?Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2021Trial
- Low-Intensity Resistance Training and Compression Garment in the Management of Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema: Single-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of cancer education : the official journal of the American Association for Cancer Education · 2020Trial
- Effect of lymphedema self-management group-based education compared with social network-based education on quality of life and fear of cancer recurrence in women with breast cancer: a randomized controlled clinical trial.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2020Trial
- A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing the Impact of a Web-Based Multimedia Intervention Versus an Educational Pamphlet on Patient Outcomes in Breast Cancer Survivors with Chronic Secondary Lymphedema.Journal of women's health (2002) · 2020Trial
- Heavy-Load Lifting: Acute Response in Breast Cancer Survivors at Risk for Lymphedema.Medicine and science in sports and exercise · 2018Trial
80 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveThis systematic review aimed to evaluate the level of evidence of contemporary peer-reviewed literature published from 2004 to 2011 on the psychosocial impact of lymphedema.
methodsEleven electronic databases were searched and 1311 articles retrieved; 23 met inclusion criteria. Twelve articles utilized qualitative methodology and 11 used quantitative methodology. An established quality assessment tool was used to assess the quality of the included studies.
resultsThe overall quality of the 23 included studies was adequate. A critical limitation of current literature is the lack of conceptual or operational definitions for the concept of psychosocial impact. Quantitative studies showed statistically significant poorer social well-being in persons with lymphedema, including perceptions related to body image, appearance, sexuality, and social barriers. No statistically significant differences were found between persons with and without lymphedema in the domains of emotional well-being (happy or sad) and psychological distress (depression and anxiety). All 12 of the qualitative studies consistently described negative psychological impact (negative self-identity, emotional disturbance, and psychological distress) and negative social impact (marginalization, financial burden, perceived diminished sexuality, social isolation, perceived social abandonment, public insensitivity, and non-supportive work environment). Factors associated with psychosocial impact were also identified.
conclusionsLymphedema has a negative psychosocial impact on affected individuals. The current review sheds light on the conceptualization and operationalization of the definitions of psychosocial impact with respect to lymphedema. Development of a lymphedema-specific instrument is needed to better characterize the impact of lymphedema and to examine the factors contributing to these outcomes in cancer and non-cancer-related populations.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.