Lymphedema, which is the most common late complication of patients undergoing cancer treatment, affects the physical, social and psychological lives of the individual and decreases the quality of life as it causes motor dysfunctions, cosmetic deformations and psychological disorders. The addition of radiotherapy to surgical intervention increases the risk of lymphedema by 36%.
When free radicals increase in intensity, they cause structural defects in lipids, proteins and nucleic acids, and as a result, they are a cause and risk factor for chronic diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and cardiovascular diseases.
Cancer cells produce high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to their fast metabolism and impaired cellular signaling mechanisms. High levels of ROS are generally harmful to cells and the redox state of cancer cells is different from normal cells. Therefore, cancer cells maintain ROS levels at a moderately high tumorigenic level, above the low cytostatic level, but below levels that may be cytotoxic. The oxidative stress state in a cancer cell is different from the oxidative stress state in a normal cell. It is also well known that increased oxidative stress and inflammation are associated with cancer risk. The number of studies investigating the effect of complex decongestive therapy, which is stated to be the most effective treatment method in the treatment of lymphedema, the most common complication after breast cancer treatment, on oxidative stress and antioxidant levels is quite limited.
In this study, it was aimed to reveal the changes of complex decongestive therapy applications on oxidative stress parameters and antioxidants in participants with lymphedema after breast cancer treatment.
