Digital Therapy for Chronic Pain Following Breast Cancer

Background: Despite current advances in cancer treatment, many breast cancer survivors still suffer daily pain. Digital therapy uses behavioral and lifestyle strategies to treat or manage health conditions, such as chronic pain or symptoms or optimizing management of chronic illness by utilizing web-and-mobile-based digital technology to deliver treatment and monitor progress. The-Optimal-Lymph-Flow ™ (TOL) is a patient-centered digital therapy that delivers safe, feasible, and easily-integrated-into-daily-routine lymphatic exercises to promote lymph flow and minimize inflammation and lymphedema.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of TOL digital therapy for chronic pain management following breast cancer treatment.

Methods:  A parallel, 12-week, randomized clinical trial (RCT) with control-experimental, pre- and post-test was used. A total of 120 patients were randomized. Participants in the intervention group received the lymphatic exercise intervention while those in the control group received the mobility exercise intervention. The intervention outcomes of pain, limb volume difference, body mass index (BMI) and quality of life (QOL) were evaluated. Descriptive and linear mixed effects models were used for data analysis.

Results: Participants in both lymphatic and mobility exercise group had significant improvement of pain at 12-weeks after intervention. Participants in the lymphatic exercise intervention had significant improvement in pain, BMI and QOL. No significant improvement in limb volume difference for both groups.

Conclusions: TOL digital therapy is effective to manage chronic pain following breast cancer treatment.

Policy Implications: Findings of the study provided the evidence for emerging digital therapy using behavioral strategies for pain, offering support for policy on behavioral management for pain.