title: Current Treatments for Breast Cancer-Related Lymphoedema: A Systematic Review
abstract: Background and objective: Breast cancer-related lymphoedema (BCRL) is a disabling complication with long
  term impact on quality on life after breast cancer treatment. Its management remains a major challenge for patients and
  health care professionals; the goal of this overview was to summarize effects of different treatment strategies for patients
  with BCRL. Methods: A thorough search was undertaken to allow a systematic review or meta-analysis of treatments
  for BCRL. Two investigators independently selected studies and abstracted the data. Results: Combined physical
  therapy (CPT) with different combinations of surgery, oral pharmaceuticals, low-level laser therapy, weight reduction,
  mesenchymal stem cell therapy, kinesio tex taping, and acupuncture might be effective in reducing lymphoedema, but
  exercise demonstrated no obvious benefit. The results of direct comparisons showed CPT might be more effective than
  standard physiotherapy (ST). Manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) may not offer additional benefits to ST for swelling
  reduction, but could facilitate compression bandaging. MLD seemed to have similar effects with self-administered
  simple lymphatic drainage (SLD) or using an intermittent pneumatic compression pump (IPC). IPC might also not be
  associated with additional effectiveness for CPT. Efficacy of stem cell therapy vs. compression sleeve or CPT, as well
  as the effects of daflon and coumarin could not be established. Conclusion: Although many treatments for BCRL might
  reduce lymphoedema volume, their effects were not well established. The quality of many of the original studies in the
  included reviews was not optimal, so that in future randomized control trials are a high priority.
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast-Thyroid Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China. Email:875497262@qq.com
authors.forename: Lun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Liqin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Xianyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Quan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jinhui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Kehu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Enxiang
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zhou
keywords: Breast cancer; lymphoedema; systematic review; combined physical therapy