Assessment of quality of sleep and muscle strength in women with breast-cancer-related lymphedema

Abstract

The most common consequences of breast cancer surgery includes joint dysfunction in the ipsilateral shoulder surgery and lymphedema of the upper limb ipsilateral to surgery. Such changes may affect the quality of life and women’s quality of sleep. The purpose of this study was to verify if the quality of sleep and the muscle strength are impaired in patients after surgical treatment for breast cancer, who developed and who didn’t develop lymphedema. An analytical cross study was developed with volunteers after surgical treatment for breast cancer who developed (lymphedema group) and who not developed (control group) lymphedema of the upper limb, in the Clinic of Mastology of the Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil. The questionnaire used was the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI); muscle strength was assessed by manual dynamometer Lafayette^® and in the end it was handed in a booklet of sleep hygiene. The data were put in Excel program and the statistic program used was the SigmaStat 3.5^®. There were significant results regarding the perimeter difference between groups in six of eight measures characterizing the group lymphedema; decreased muscle strength was noted in the ipsilateral side to surgery in both groups, being the lymphedema group more affected. Sleep was impaired in both groups, but with different complaints. In the lymphedema group the main complaint was about the position for sleep and compressive bandaging. There was a change in sleeping and muscle strength of women who underwent surgical treatment for breast cancer, being worse in women who developed lymphedema.