Weight Lifting in Women with Breast-Cancer–Related Lymphedema

Weight lifting has generally been discouraged for women with breast-cancer–related lymphedema because of concern that it might worsen the lymphedema. In this randomized trial involving breast-cancer survivors with lymphedema, women undergoing a 1-year weight-lifting program were no more likely than controls to have increased arm swelling, had greater improvement in the severity of lymphedema symptoms and strength, and had a lower incidence of confirmed exacerbations of lymphedema. In women breast-cancer survivors with lymphedema, those undergoing a 1-year weight-lifting program were no more likely than controls to have increased arm swelling, had greater improvement in the severity of lymphedema symptoms and strength, and had a lower incidence of confirmed exacerbations of lymphedema. There are more than 2.4 million survivors of breast cancer in the United States. 1 Approximately 184,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the United States, and 90% of these women will live at least 5 years. 2 Improvements in immediate treatment outcomes have led to an increased focus on morbidity among survivors. Lymphedema ranks high among the serious concerns of survivors, as it is chronic, progressive, and incurable. 3 Lymphedema causes limb swelling and discomfort, considerably impairing arm function. 4 The incidence of lymphedema after breast-cancer surgery varies across studies from 6 to 70%, depending on the criteria used for . . .