Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 8, 2025
Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Breast Cancer-related Lymphedema
Published on: January 12, 2017
Impact of text reminders on pneumatic compression device (PCD) compliance in patients with breast cancer-related
Shail Maingi1,2, Ellen M O'Malley3
1St Peter's Health Partners, Albany, NY, 12208, USA. Shail_Maingi@DFCI.HARVARD.EDU.
Purpose:
Do cell phone text reminders impact the rate of compliance with pneumatic compression device (PCD) therapy among women with breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL)?
Methods:
A prospective, randomized, 2-group feasibility study conducted at 2 centers. Participants were adult females (≥18 years old) with unilateral BCRL who had the capability of receiving reminder text messages. All participants underwent PCD therapy. Participants were randomized 1:1 to control (no text messages) or test group (received text message reminders if the PCD had not been used for 2 consecutive days). The rate of compliance between treatment groups was the main outcome measure. Secondary outcome measures were changes in arm girth, quality of life (QOL), and symptom severity.
Results:
Twenty-nine participants were enrolled and randomized, 25 were available for follow-up at 60 days (14 test, 11 control). Overall, 52.2% (12/23) of all participants were completely compliant, an additional 43.5% (10/23) were partially compliant, and 1 patient (4.3%) was noncompliant. The test and control groups did not differ in device compliance. In the pooled population, weight, BMI, and arm girth were improved. Overall disease-specific QOL and symptom severity were improved. Regression analysis showed benefits were greater among participants with higher rates of compliance.
Conclusions:
Automated text reminders did not improve compliance in patients with BCRL as compliance rates were already high in this patient population. Improvements in weight, BMI, arm girth, disease-specific quality of life, and symptom severity measures were observed regardless of the treatment assignment. Full compliance resulted in greater functional and QOL benefits.
Trial Registration:
The study was registered at www.
Clinicaltrials:
gov (NCT04432727) on June 16, 2020.
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