Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33236211›Full record

Trial reportSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2021

Breast cancer-related lymphedema and its treatment: how big is the financial impact?

Tessa De Vrieze, Nick Gebruers, Ines Nevelsteen, Wiebren A A Tjalma, Sarah Thomis, An De Groef, Lore Dams, Vincent Haenen, Nele Devoogdt

Registry-linked trialOpen access · greenAbstract readMulticenter StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT02609724 (Effectiveness of Fluoroscopy-guided Manual Lymph Drainage), which is not on this map. Cited by 17 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
17citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 28% 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.

NCT02609724 nacompletednot on this map

Effectiveness of Fluoroscopy-guided Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD) Versus Traditional MLD or Placebo MLD, as Part of Decongestive Lymphatic Therapy, for the Treatment of Breast Cancer-related Lymphoedema (BCRL): a Randomised Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversitaire Ziekenhuizen KU LeuvenRan2016 to 2020Enrolled194ConditionsBreast Neoplasm, LymphedemaArmsInformation, Skin care, Compression therapy, Fluoroscopy-guided MLD, Traditional MLD
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

17 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 20 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Financial toxicity experienced by patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema: a systematic review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2023
    Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Article
  5. Effect of taxaneZhong nan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Central South University. Medical sciences · 2026
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Lymphedema self-care: economic cost savings and opportunities to improve adherence.Cost effectiveness and resource allocation : C/E · 2023
    Article
  15. Review
  16. Article
  17. 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

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Tessa De VriezeDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, O&N IV Herestraat 49, box 1510, 3000, Leuven, Belgium. tessa.devrieze@kuleuven.be.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5719-6169
Nick GebruersDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, MOVANT, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4927-0434
Ines NevelsteenMultidisciplinary Breast Centre, UZ Leuven - University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4380-7413
Wiebren A A TjalmaMultidisciplinary Oedema Clinic, University of Antwerp and Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6618-045X
Sarah ThomisCenter for lymphedema, UZ Leuven - University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8491-6264
An De GroefDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, O&N IV Herestraat 49, box 1510, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6771-2836
Lore DamsDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, O&N IV Herestraat 49, box 1510, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1283-6185
Vincent HaenenDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, O&N IV Herestraat 49, box 1510, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7056-6286
Nele DevoogdtDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, O&N IV Herestraat 49, box 1510, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8117-7080
University of Antwerp · BEUniversitair Ziekenhuis Leuven · BE

Funding

IWT-TBM 150178
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeDecongestive lymphatic treatment (DLT) is still the gold standard for treatment of breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). With up to 17% of the patients treated for breast cancer developing BCRL, this morbidity imposes a tremendous financial burden for patients and society. Knowledge about this economic burden related to BCRL and its conservative treatment in a European setting is lacking. The aim of this prospective, longitudinal cohort study was to estimate the direct healthcare costs related to BCRL and its treatment in a European setting.

methodsPatients with BCRL were treated with DLT consisting of an intensive treatment phase of 3 weeks, followed by a maintenance treatment phase of 6 months. Additionally, the follow-up period comprised 6 months. During these 3 weeks and 12 months, all direct costs associated with the treatment of BCRL and its sequelae were documented through billing prices and a self-developed questionnaire which was administered after the intensive treatment phase, and subsequently 3-monthly during the entire period.

resultsA total of 194 patients were enrolled in this study. Of these, 17% (n = 32) showed lymphedema stage I, 56% (n = 109) had lymphedema stage IIa, and 27% (n = 53) had lymphedema stage IIb. Total direct healthcare costs per patient were €2248.93 on average during the entire period of 3 weeks of intensive treatments and 12 months of maintenance decongestive therapy. Within these mean direct costs, €1803.35 (80%) was accounted for statutory health insurances, and €445.58 (20%) was out-of-pocket expenses for patients.

conclusionThis study is one of the first standardized high-quality health economic analyses of BRCL treatment in Europe. The present study indicates that the price tag of BCRL treatment in Belgium is high not only for the health insurance but also for the patients Clinical trial registration number The study makes part of a double-blind, multi-center, randomized controlled trial (EFforT-BCRL trial), which is registered in clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02609724). CME reference S58689, EudraCT Number 2015-004822-33.

Indexed as

Breast Cancer LymphedemaDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMiddle AgedProspective StudiesBreast neoplasmsEconomic evaluationHealth care costsLymphedemaRehabilitation

Identifiers

PMID33236211
OpenAlexW3107537763

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

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.