MINIMAL CLINICALLY IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE OF THE LYMPHEDEMA QUALITY OF LIFE SCALE IN UPPER LIMB LYMPHEDEMA AFTER BREAST CANCER SURGERY
LYMPHOLOGY, vol.58, no.4, pp.179-189, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 58 Issue: 4
- Publication Date: 2025
- Doi Number: 10.2458/lymph.10605
- Journal Name: LYMPHOLOGY
- Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, EMBASE
- Page Numbers: pp.179-189
- Istanbul University Affiliated: No
Abstract
This study aimed to determine the minimal clinically important differences (MCID) for the Lymphedema Quality of Life Questionnaire (LYMQOL) in breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). LYMQOL was used to evaluate quality of life (QoL) with four domains: function, body image, symptoms, and mood. All patients received a standardized three-week program of combined complex decongestive therapy. An anchored-based (response to a satisfaction question at post treatment) method was used to estimate MCIDs. The optimal cut-off points were calculated. The study included 67 patients with a mean age of 54.3 +/- 9.73 years and a BMI of 32.6 +/- 6.80 kg/m(2). Significant statistical improvements were observed in all domains of the LYMQOL after treatment, including function (p=0.001), body image (p=0.001), symptoms (p<0.001), and mood (p=0.012) with the overall QoL score increasing from 6.31 +/- 1.93 to 6.81 +/- 1.45 (p=0.004). The MCID values for LYMQOL were 0.31 for function, 0.5 for body image, 0.31 for symptoms, and 0.33 for mood, with corresponding MCID change percentages of 10.33%, 16.66%,10.33%, and 11%, respectively. This study's MCID values for QoL provide valuable insights to enhance clinical decision-making and improve patient outcomes in BCRL.