Feasibility and Impact of 6-Month Rowing on Arm Lymphedema, Flexibility, and Fatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors

Ester Tommasini, Paolo Bruseghini, Francesca Angela Rovera, Anna Maria Grande and Christel Galvani ()
Additional contact information
Ester Tommasini: Exercise & Sport Science Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20162 Milan, Italy
Paolo Bruseghini: Exercise & Sport Science Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20162 Milan, Italy
Francesca Angela Rovera: Senology Research Center, Department of Medicine and Innovation Technology (DiMIT), University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy
Anna Maria Grande: Breast Unit, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale (ASST) Sette Laghi Hospital and University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy
Christel Galvani: Exercise & Sport Science Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20162 Milan, Italy

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 7, 1-16

Abstract: Dragon boating and rowing are reported to be safe and provide physical benefits for women with breast cancer. Sculling, characterized by a distinct biomechanical technique, may serve as a potential tool to mitigate the adverse side effects of cancer treatments. This study investigated the feasibility and impact of a 6-month integrated physical activity program in breast cancer survivors. A longitudinal intervention study was conducted involving 20 women with breast cancer (age: 55.8 ± 6.1 yrs; BMI: 24.6 ± 3.3 kg/m 2 , stages I-III; surgery performed 6 months to 20 years prior) who participated in a 6-month exercise program consisting of three weekly one-hour sessions of adapted physical activity, walking, and sculling, with assessments conducted at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Physical activity, arm lymphedema, flexibility, and fatigue were tested. The program did not lead to the development or worsening of pre-existing lymphedema. A reduction of 78.9 cm 3 was observed in the operated limb over 6 months ( p = 0.005). An improvement in flexibility was also observed with a 2.7 cm increase in the back scratch test for the operated limb ( p < 0.001). However, no significant change in fatigue-related variables was recorded. This is a novel study, as sculling has not previously been investigated in the context of breast cancer rehabilitation. The findings suggested that, when integrated into a structured exercise program, sculling is not only a safe and accessible activity but also effective in promoting physical and health-related improvements, with no adverse events reported. Therefore, it should be considered as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation plan for breast cancer survivors.

Keywords: breast cancer; sculling; physical activity; lymphedema; flexibility; fatigue (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/7/987/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/7/987/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:7:p:987-:d:1685348

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().