SynthesisSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2025
Intermittent pneumatic compression devices for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer-related lymphedema-a systematic review and meta-analysis.
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 3 papers.
What it found
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The trial behind it
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Article
- Predictors of response to compression therapy in breast cancer-related lymphoedema: a systematic review and meta-analysis.EClinicalMedicine · 2026Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
aimsThis systematic review and meta-analysis aims to provide an up-to-date assessment of the efficacy of intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) devices in preventing and treating breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL).
methodsFrom establishment to 2025-03-21, randomized controlled trials of IPC in the prevention and treatment of BCRL were searched and included in the databases of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, CNKI, WanFang Data Knowledge Service (WanFang), and SinoMed. Two researchers used inclusion and exclusion criteria to choose literature and assess its quality. RevMan 5.4 software was used for meta-analysis.
resultsWe found 14 randomized controlled studies with 1397 patients after conducting a thorough search across several databases. Meta-analysis showed that IPC significantly reduced the incidence of BCRL after breast cancer surgery (P < 0.01, RR = 0.36, 95%CI = [0.22, 0.58]) and improved the extension function of the affected limb (P = 0.02, SMD = 2.77, 95%CI = [0.41, 5.12]). Subgroup analyses indicated that lymphedema duration ≤ 24 months, IPC pressure ≤ 40 mmHg, treatment time > 2 weeks, and evaluation time ≤ 2 months were associated with better limb volume outcomes (all P < 0.05). However, no significant effects were observed on other joint movements or the patient's subjective symptoms.
conclusionIPC devices can effectively prevent the occurrence of BCRL, likely due to enhanced lymphatic return and reduced interstitial fluid accumulation, and early IPC intervention (≤ 40 mmHg pressure, > 2-week duration) is recommended for prevention, while combined therapies may be needed for established lymphedema. However, its limited therapeutic efficacy in chronic lymphedema may be related to irreversible structural damage in advanced cases. We need further rigorous, multicenter studies to optimize IPC protocols and clarify its role in BCRL management.
trial registrationPROSPERO has registered this study under the CRD42025631301.
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