Telerehabilitation in Postoperative Breast Cancer Care: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Fabio Santacaterina, Benedetta Campagnola, Federica Bressi and 3 others
PMID 41364915WHAT IT FOUND
Compared with standard care, telerehabilitation after breast cancer surgery improved quality of life and reduced pain.
Upper-limb function did not show a significant pooled improvement.
Key findings
01Quality of life improved with telerehabilitation compared with standard care, a moderate effect (standardized mean difference 0.61, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.80).
02Pain intensity was lower with telerehabilitation compared with standard care, a small to moderate effect (standardized mean difference -0.39, 95% CI -0.54 to -0.25).
03Upper-limb function did not differ significantly between telerehabilitation and standard care (standardized mean difference -0.86, 95% CI -2.02 to 0.31).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Only 5 trials could be pooled because the remote programs, comparators, durations, and outcome tools varied widely. Samples were often small, and blinding was usually not possible, so patient-reported outcomes may be biased. Upper-limb function was a null result, so arm function scores may not improve with remote programs. Interventions often combined exercise with education, coaching, monitoring, or psychological support. The effect of any single component cannot be separated. Risk of bias varied. One trial was high risk and one had some concerns. Exercise intensity was rarely standardized, so protocols are hard to reproduce. Long-term follow-up was limited. Most studies lacked follow-up beyond 3 to 6 months.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that remote exercise alone improves arm function. The pooled upper-limb function result was not significant, and many programs added education, coaching, monitoring, or psychological support, so the effect of any single component cannot be separated.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →