SynthesisSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2025
Lymphedema management in patients with head and neck cancer: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials on physical therapy interventions.
Synthesis in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Animal Models of Lymphaticovenous Anastomosis: A Systematic Review of Current Evidence and Future Directions in Translational Research.Microsurgery · 2026Pooled it
- Beyond feasibility: the case for lymphoedema-stratified rehabilitation trials in head and neck cancer.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Article
- Electrotherapy in Oncology Rehabilitation: Current Evidence, Safety Considerations, and Future Perspectives.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Management of dysphagia in head and neck cancer: current and future perspectives.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeLymphedema is one of the most common side effects following oncological treatment. This systematic review analyzed the latest literature concerning the efficacy of physical therapy interventions in treating secondary lymphedema in patients with head and neck cancer.
methodsMedline, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library were searched for studies published before August 2023. Randomized controlled trials in which physical therapy was applied to treat lymphedema in head and neck cancer were included. Reviewers blinded screened the articles retrieved, scored methodological quality, and extracted data. The review was conducted according to the PRISMA statement and registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023439643). Risk of bias assessment was performed using the Cochrane tools.
resultsA total of four randomized controlled trials were included. They comprise 167 patients, and only one of the studies achieved a low risk of bias. Interventions were kinesio taping, compression therapy, manual lymphatic drainage and/or exercise applied in combination with skin care and self-management. Some adverse effects related to intervention were mild and transitory.
conclusionThe findings shown by this review were that an exercise program plus manual lymphatic drainage supplemented with kinesio taping or compression therapy could be beneficial for external lymphedema. Neither therapy achieved an improvement in internal lymphedema.
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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.