ArticleActa oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden)2025
Prevalence of lymphedema symptoms across cancer diagnoses and association with depression, pain interference and health-related quality of life.
Article in Acta oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Effectiveness of Physical Exercise Programs in Reducing Secondary Lymphedema Associated with Breast Cancer: An Overview of Systematic Reviews.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Prevalence of concurrent severe self-reported late symptoms and functional limitations in cancer survivors: a cross-sectional study of sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle associations.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Article
- Comprehensive overview of management and risk assessment of breast cancer-related lymphedema: a multidisciplinary approach.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Review
- Cancer survivorship and functional health: what we need to address in an aging cancer population.Acta oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden) · 2025Article
- Self-measured leg circumference for the detection of lymphedema among men with prostate cancer: a reliability study.Acta oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden) · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
background and purposeLymphedema is a debilitating late effect of cancer treatments, yet its prevalence beyond breast cancer remains understudied. This study examined the prevalence of lymphedema symptoms across cancer diagnoses and their association with depression, pain interference, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). PATIENTS/MATERIAL AND
methodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, from February to April 2021, as part of a broader investigation into cancer-related late effects. Here, we present data from patients in follow-up who received online lymphedema symptom assesments (swelling, heaviness, or tightness). Utilized questionnaires were the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire, the Major Depression Inventory, and the Brief Pain Inventory. Associations between lymphedema symptoms and depression, pain interference, and HRQoL were examined via multiple linear regression.
resultsOf 1,901 patients in follow-up who received the lymphedema symptom items, 1,296 responded. Most participants had breast cancer (48%), followed by testicular (17%), gynecological (16%), and head/neck cancer (11%). One-third (n = 397) reported lymphedema symptoms, with 38% (n = 152) reporting moderate/severe symptoms. The highest symptom prevalence was seen in gynecological cancer (59%), followed by head/neck (41%), breast (21%), and testicular cancer (19%). Participants with moderate/severe lymphedema symptoms were significantly more likely to report higher depression and pain interference scores and lower HRQoL scores compared to those with no/mild symptoms.
interpretationLymphedema symptoms are highly prevalent among patients who have completed treatment for diverse cancers and associated with higher scores for depression and pain interference, and lower HRQoL.
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.