Which physical therapy intervention is most effective in reducing secondary lymphoedema associated with breast cancer? Protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Introduction Lymphoedema associated with breast cancer is caused by an interruption of the lymphatic system, together with factors such as total mastectomy, axillary dissection, positive lymph nodes, radiotherapy, use of taxanes and obesity. Physiotherapy treatment consists of complex decongestive therapy, manual lymphatic drainage and exercises, among other interventions. Currently, there are several systematic review and randomised controlled trials that evaluate the efficacy of these interventions. However, at present, there are no studies that compare the effectiveness of all these physical therapy interventions. The purpose of this study is to determine which physical therapy treatment is most effective in reducing breast cancer-related lymphoedema, improving quality of life and reducing pain. Methods and analysis MEDLINE, PEDro, CINAHL, EMBASE, LILACS and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials will be searched for reports of randomised controlled trials published from database inception to June 2022. We will only include studies that are written in English, Spanish and Portuguese. We will also search grey literature, preprint servers and clinical trial registries. The primary outcomes are reduction of secondary lymphoedema associated with breast cancer, improvements in quality of life and pain reduction. The risk of bias of individual studies will be evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 Tool. A network meta-analysis will be performed using a random-effects model. First, pairs will be directly meta-analysed and indirect comparisons will be made between the different physical therapy treatments. The GRADE system will be used to assess the overall quality of the body of evidence associated with the main results. Ethics and dissemination This protocol does not require approval from an ethics committee. The results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications. PROSPERO registration number CDR42022323541.

Automated summary

Lymphoedema associated with breast cancer is a common condition caused by lymphatic system interruption and various factors. Physical therapy is an effective treatment for reducing lymphoedema, improving quality of life, and reducing pain. However, there is currently no study comparing the effectiveness of all physical therapy interventions. The purpose of this study is to determine the most effective physical therapy treatment.