Generalized edema is one of the most common side effects of docetaxel treatment and hazard quality of life in patients with breast cancer. Although damage in lymphatic endothelial cells is considered as the mechanism of the side effects, no standard treatment has been established to relieve the symptoms other than diuretics. This study was designed to evaluate the usefulness of the Aroma lymphatic Trissage (ALT) program in improving the quality of life (psychological stability) along with alleviation of the lower extremity after docetaxel treatment in patients with breast cancer.
Study was conducted on the 37 patients with breast cancer who visited the cancer center at the Korea University Anam hospital from January 2021 to March 2022. Patients were eligible if they experienced Grade 2 or higher-grade lower extremity edema after taxane-based chemotherapy. ALT was performed for 40 minutes twice a week for 4 weeks, in total 8 sessions. The primary endpoint was to evaluate the effect of ALT on the lower extremity edema, which was measured by the circumference of the thigh, calf, and ankle. The secondary endpoint was a change in Quality of life. EORTC-Q-C30 questionnaire and FACT-TAXANE were used.
Thirty-nine patients were enrolled and 2 patients dropped out. A total of 37 patients finished the study. There was a significant decrease (p<.001) in the lower extremity edema after the 4-week ALT. The mean circumference of the extremity was as follows at baseline and 6-week time-point; 56.17±5.02 to 54.22±4.83 (thigh), 37.34±3.06 to 35.91±2.83(calf), 22.46±1.74 to 21.61±1.67 (ankle). Moreover, both EORTC-QLQ-C30 and FACT-TAXANE questionnaire showed significant improvement after the intervention; 71.81±13.01 to 57.30±9.35 in mean EORTC-QLQ-C30 (p<0.001) and 87.27±17.27 to 66.49±17.25 in mean FACT-TAXANE score (p<0.001).
Results in this study showed that Aroma lymphatic Tressage (ALT) program has a positive effect on the relief of lower extremity edema caused by taxane-based chemotherapy, and the quality of life of breast patients. Based on the results, ALT might be applied as a complementary intervention to improve edema in the lower extremities after taxane-based chemotherapy.
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