SynthesisFrontiers in oncology2026
Effectiveness of physical therapy for lower limb lymphedema in gynecological cancer survivors: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.
Synthesis in Frontiers in oncology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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
1 citing paper in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: Secondary lower limb lymphedema (LLL) is a long-term side effect following surgery or radiotherapy in survivors with gynecological cancer. This systematic review aims to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of physical therapy interventions for LLL patients with gynecological cancer, providing evidence-based support for clinical practice. Methods: We searched the Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases for literature published up to 27 December 2025. We include randomized controlled trials (RCTs) focusing on physical therapy as the main interventions for LLL in gynecological cancer survivors. Literature screening and data extraction were performed using the Rayyan platform, and the methodological quality of included studies was assessed with the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (ROB 2) tool. This systematic review has been registered in PROSPERO (Registration number: CRD420251274284). Results: Six RCTs involving a total of 289 eligible patients were ultimately included. None of the included RCTs were judged to have a high risk of bias. Results showed that physical therapy interventions resulted in significant reductions in lower limb volume or circumference across studies. Additionally, they alleviated symptoms such as pain and heaviness, and improved physical functions including muscle strength and gait, as well as quality of life. Evidence indicates that the multimodal physical therapy strategy showed a superior trend in improving the most outcomes compared to a single therapy mode. All intervention-related adverse events were mild, with no serious adverse events reported. Conclusion: Overall, this systematic review confirms that both multimodal and single physical therapy are safe and effective for secondary lower limb lymphedema in gynecologic cancer survivors. A combination of different physical therapy modalities may be a better option. The results of this study may provide an evidence-based reference for clinical decision-making about LLL intervention strategies in this specific population. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251274284, identifier CRD420251274284.
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Registered trials
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