Weight lifting benefits breast cancer survivors

By David Liu (davidl@foodconsumer.org) 

Weight lifting helps women with breast cancer related lymphedema, a study in the August 13 issue of New England Journal of medicine suggests.

Lymphedema, also known as lymphatic obstruction, is a condition of localized fluid retention and tissue swelling caused by injury to the lymphatic vessels caused during the treatment of cancer particularly breast cancer, according to wikipedia, although the condition is primarily inherited.

Schmitz KH and colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA surveyed 141 breast cancer survivors with stable lymphedema of the arm to see how weight lifting would affect their condition.

The primary outcome the researchers looked at was the change in arm and hand swelling at one year and secondary outcomes included the incidence of exacerbations of lymphedema, number and severity of lymphedema symptoms and muscle strength.

The change in limb swelling in both the weight lifting group and the control group was similar, 11% versus 12%, the researchers found. 

However, the weight lifting group reported greater improvements in severity of lymphedema symptoms and upper and low-body strength. The weight lifting group also had a lower incidence of lymphedema exacerbations compared to the control group, 14 % versus 29 %.

No adverse events related to the weight lifting intervention were observed.

The trial study concluded” In breast-cancer survivors with lymphedema, slowly progressive weight lifting had no significant effect on limb swelling and resulted in a decreased incidence of exacerbations of lymphedema, reduced symptoms, and increased strength."