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Breast cancer-related lymphedema patient and healthcare professional experiences in lymphedema self-management: a qualitative study

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Abstract

Purpose

Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) self-management plays an important role in the lymphedema therapy. However, clinical knowledge of BCRL self-management remains minimal. This study aims to explore the experience surrounding lymphedema self-management from the perspectives of BCRL patients and healthcare professionals.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews were implemented with BCRL patients and healthcare professionals. Audio-recordings of interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis was undertaken to analyze the interview data.

Results

Thirteen BCRL patients (aged 34–65 years) and nine healthcare professionals (2 physicians, 4 nurses, and 3 lymphedema therapists) were interviewed. Five themes emerged from interviews with participants: knowledge-attitude-practice surrounding lymphedema self-management, emotional reactions towards lymphedema self-management, factors influencing lymphedema self-management, support needs for lymphedema self-management, healthcare professional support of BCRL self-management.

Conclusions

This study showed knowledge-attitude-practice, feelings, influencing factors, roles, dilemmas, and support needs regarding BCRL self-management. Greater effort is required for healthcare professionals to strengthen the lymphedema self-management. Providing more educational program and holistic support, and strengthening the facilitators and controlling the barriers might benefit promoting lymphedema self-management. Likewise, healthcare professionals need adequate training to be able to meet patients’ self-management support needs.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank all the participants in this study for sharing their personal thoughts and experiences.

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Funding

This research was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province of China (project no. 2020A1515010373).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, NO.1838 Guangzhou Avenue North, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, People’s Republic of China

    Huihui Zhao, Yanni Wu, Chunlan Zhou, Wenji Li, **ao** Li & Liling Chen

Authors
  1. Huihui Zhao
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  2. Yanni Wu
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  3. Chunlan Zhou
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  4. Wenji Li
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  5. **ao** Li
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  6. Liling Chen
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Contributions

Huihui Zhao and Chunlan Zhou designed the study; Huihui Zhao conducted the data collection/interviews; Huihui Zhao, Yanni Wu, and Chunlan Zhou qualitatively analyzed the data; Wenji Li, **ao** Li, and Liling Chen contributed to the analysis and interpretation of the interview data; Huihui Zhao drafted the manuscript and Yanni Wu helped draft the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chunlan Zhou.

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Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the ethical committees of the hospital.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Yes, according to Ethics approval.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Cite this article

Zhao, H., Wu, Y., Zhou, C. et al. Breast cancer-related lymphedema patient and healthcare professional experiences in lymphedema self-management: a qualitative study. Support Care Cancer 29, 8027–8044 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-021-06390-8

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