Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27330922›Full record

ArticleSpringerPlus2016

Worse and worse off: the impact of lymphedema on work and career after breast cancer.

John Boyages, Senia Kalfa, Ying Xu, Louise Koelmeyer, Helen Mackie, Hector Viveros, Lucy Taksa, Paul Gollan

Open access · diamondAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in SpringerPlus, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 43 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
43citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
4.9field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

43 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 89 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Prognostic factors for return to work in breast cancer survivors.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Guideline
  5. Trial
  6. Trial
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Arm morbidity and financial difficulty in breast cancer survivors.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2026
    Article
  10. Review
  11. Review
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. Lymphedema self-care: economic cost savings and opportunities to improve adherence.Cost effectiveness and resource allocation : C/E · 2023
    Article
  17. Article
  18. Review
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

John BoyagesDepartment of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2 Technology Place, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109 Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-3208-3966
Senia KalfaDepartment of Marketing and Management, Faculty of Business and Economics, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109 Australia.
Ying XuDepartment of Marketing and Management, Faculty of Business and Economics, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109 Australia.
Louise KoelmeyerDepartment of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2 Technology Place, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109 Australia.
Helen MackieMacquarie University Hospital, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW Australia ; Mount Wilga Private Hospital, 66 Rosamond Street, Hornsby, NSW 2077 Australia.
Hector ViverosDepartment of Marketing and Management, Faculty of Business and Economics, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109 Australia.
Lucy TaksaDepartment of Marketing and Management, Faculty of Business and Economics, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109 Australia.
Paul GollanAustralian Institute for Business and Economics, Faculty of Business, Economics and Law, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD Australia.
Macquarie University · AUThe University of Queensland · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeOur study examines the impact of breast cancer-related lymphedema on women's work and career. Our research addresses a significant knowledge gap regarding the additional impact of lymphedema on breast cancer survivors.

methodsAn online national survey was conducted with 361 women who either had breast cancer without lymphedema (Group 1, n = 209) or breast cancer with lymphedema (Group 2, n = 152). Participant recruitment was supported by the Breast Cancer Network Australia and the Australasian Lymphology Association.

resultsBoth breast cancer and lymphedema had a significant negative influence on women's work and career. Respondents reported changes in employment resulting from stress and/or physical impairment, which affected attendance and work performance. The perceived negative impact of breast cancer on respondents' work and career was noticeably greater in Group 2 (63 %) than Group 1 (51 %) (p = 0.03). Of the participants who were in paid employment at some time (either at diagnosis of lymphedema or at the time of the survey (n = 103), 43 (42 %) indicated that lymphedema impacted their work performance. The impact of lymphedema on work was incremental with increased severity of lymphedema (range 22-75 %). The annual number of days off work for subclinical/mild lymphedema participants was 1.4 versus 8.1 days for moderate or severe participants (p = 0.003).

conclusionsThis study identifies an additional detrimental effect of lymphedema on women's work and career over and above the initial impact of breast cancer and provides empirical evidence for future prospective studies and policy improvement.

Identifiers

PMID27330922
PMCPMC4870504
OpenAlexW2400500725

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.