PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of compression therapy combined with exercise for cancer patients (EXCAP) in patients with peripheral neuropathy caused by breast cancer chemotherapy. METHODS: Overall, 108 patients with peripheral neuropathy after chemotherapy for breast cancer were randomly divided into the control group (routine nursing), experimental group 1 (compression therapy), and experimental group 2 (compression therapy and EXCAP). The National Institute of Cancer Drug Toxicity Rating Scale and the Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Assessment Tool were assessed and compared between groups. RESULTS: The incidence of grade 0 peripheral neuropathy in both experimental groups was higher than that in controls (p < 0.001), and the incidence in group 2 was higher than that in group 1 (p < 0.001). The incidence of grade 2 disease in both experimental groups was lower than that in controls (p < 0.001). The rate of symptoms in both experimental groups after the intervention were lower than that in the control group (p < 0.001), and those in experimental group 2 were lower than those in experimental group 1 (p < 0.001). Scores regarding activities of daily living in the experimental groups were lower than those of the control group (p < 0.001), and lower in group 2 than in group 1 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Compression therapy and EXCAP can effectively reduce the incidence of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in patients undergoing breast cancer chemotherapy. They can both positively impact patients' daily lives and symptom experiences; however, they are more effective when combined.

Full text (sometimes free) may be available at these link(s):      help

• DOI
• PubMed
• PDF locator
• publisher