Telerehabilitation in Postoperative Breast Cancer Care: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Digital Health

Background:

• Postoperative rehabilitation is crucial for breast cancer (BC) survivors' quality of life (QoL), pain management, and upper limb function.
• Telerehabilitation offers a promising alternative to conventional methods, particularly for patients with limited access to care.
• The comparative effectiveness of telerehabilitation versus standard care for BC survivors remains uncertain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of telerehabilitation compared to standard care or no treatment.
• To assess improvements in QoL, pain, handgrip strength, and upper limb function in women post-BC surgery.
• To provide evidence-based insights into telerehabilitation's role in breast cancer recovery.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review and meta-analysis adhering to PRISMA 2020 guidelines.
• Inclusion of 11 randomized controlled trials, with 5 selected for quantitative synthesis.
• Assessment of risk of bias using Cochrane RoB2 tool and certainty of evidence using GRADE approach.

Main Results:

• Telerehabilitation significantly improved QoL (SMD 0.59; moderate certainty) and grip strength (MD 2.93 kg; low certainty).
• A significant reduction in pain was observed with telerehabilitation (SMD -0.50; low certainty).
• No significant difference was found in upper limb function between telerehabilitation and control groups (low certainty).

Conclusions:

• Telerehabilitation is a viable and effective intervention for enhancing QoL, reducing pain, and improving grip strength in breast cancer survivors.
• The positive effects of telerehabilitation on QoL and pain management are supported by moderate to low certainty evidence.
• Further investigation is required to clarify telerehabilitation's impact on upper limb function post-BC surgery.