Articles

MINIMAL CLINICALLY IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE OF THE LYMPHEDEMA QUALITY OF LIFE SCALE IN UPPER LIMB LYMPHEDEMA AFTER BREAST CANCER SURGERY

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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/m². 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.

Keywords: Minimal clinically important difference, Lymphedema Quality of Life questionnaire, Upper limb lymphedema, Breast cancer surgery, Quality of Life

How to Cite:

Ozkutlu, O., Sahbaz Pirincci, C., Duzlu Ozturk, Ü., Dalyan, M. & Celik, D., (2026) “MINIMAL CLINICALLY IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE OF THE LYMPHEDEMA QUALITY OF LIFE SCALE IN UPPER LIMB LYMPHEDEMA AFTER BREAST CANCER SURGERY”, Lymphology 58(4), 179-189. doi: https://doi.org/10.2458/lymph.10605