title: Psychosocial impact of living with cancer-related lymphedema.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To summarize the evidence of and identify factors influencing the psychosocial impact of lymphedema, as well as to discuss nursing strategies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Peer-reviewed publications from 2004 to 2011 in 11 major medical indices.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Poorer overall health-related quality of life was reported among cancer survivors with lymphedema. The consistent, detailed, and vivid descriptions from the qualitative studies suggest that cancer-related lymphedema exerts tremendous negative psychosocial impact, which quantitative studies failed to capture.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nursing strategies include helping patients to build a routine for daily care, setting goals, exercise, positive self-talk, providing helpful resources, and organizing support groups. Professional organizations should devote resources to public education through television advertisement, public meetings, and online education.
authors: New York University, College of Nursing, New York, NY, USA. mf67@nyu.edu
authors: Mei R
authors: MR
authors: Fu
authors: Yang
authors: Y
authors: Kang
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008209:Lymphedema / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D011788:Quality of Life