Specific Exercise Therapy: The exercise protocol includes mobilisation and stretching with 40-minute sessions twice weekly for 8 weeks post-initiation, transitioning to a home-based maintenance phase for 4 months. All sessions will be supervised by certified physiotherapists.
Study summary
This single-center, parallel-group randomized controlled trial (RCT) will compare two timings for initiating specific exercise therapy after breast cancer surgery. The study tests whether early initiation (within the first postoperative week) versus delayed initiation (at 3 weeks postoperative) results in superior upper limb function at 6 months as measured by the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire. Secondary outcomes include pain intensity (Visual Analog Scale, VAS) and wound-related complications such as drainage time and hematoma incidence.
Eligibility
Sex
ALL
Min age
18 Years
Max age
65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion Criteria:
* Women aged 18-65 years.
* Scheduled to undergo breast cancer surgery with axillary node dissection.
* At risk for upper limb morbidity based on preoperative assessment.
* Able to provide informed consent and complete study questionnaires.
* Willing and able to attend scheduled physiotherapy sessions and follow-up evaluations.
Exclusion Criteria:
* Diagnosis of recurrent or metastatic breast cancer.
* Concurrent participation in another rehabilitation intervention or clinical trial.
* Severe comorbidities (e.g., uncontrolled cardiovascular disease, severe orthopedic conditions) that preclude safe participation.
* History of previous shoulder surgery or chronic upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders unrelated to breast cancer treatment.
* Inability to understand or complete study materials in English.
* Pregnancy or lactation.
Primary outcome measure(s)
Upper Limb Function (DASH Questionnaire) — Assessed preoperatively (baseline) and at 6 months postoperative. The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire is a validated measure of upper limb function. The questionnaire is scored on a continuous scale ranging from 0 to 100, where 0 indicates no disability and 100 represents the most severe disability. Lower scores indicate better upper limb function.
This page summarises publicly available registry data for informational purposes — not medical advice. Eligibility is determined by each study team; patients should discuss participation with their clinician.
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