Moseley, A.L., Carati, C.J., & Piller, N.B. (2007). A systematic review of common conservative therapies for arm lymphoedema secondary to breast cancer treatment. Annals of Oncology, 18(4), 639–646. 

STUDY PURPOSE: To review the common conservative therapies for arm lymphedema secondary to breast cancer treatment

• Complex physical therapy 
• Manual lymphatic drainage 
• Pneumatic pump therapy 
• Oral pharmaceuticals 
• Low-level laser 
• Limb exercise
• Limb elevations
• Self-massage 

DATABASES USED: Search of English literature using the search engines CINAHL, PubMed, MEDLINE, CancerLit, PEDro, and Cochrane Evidence-Based Medicine Database; proceedings from the International Society of Lymphology and the Australian Lymphoedema Association; and contact with primary authors when publications were difficult to source. 

EVALUATION METHOD AND COMMENTS ON LITERATURE USED: Data were extracted using EndNote 7^® (Thomson Reuters), and a quality scale assessment tool was used. Review included randomized, controlled, parallel, crossover format, and case-controlled and cohort studies. Case reports and anecdotal evidence were not reviewed. Because of treatment and data heterogeneity, authors were not able to perform a meta-analysis.

• Manual lymphatic drainage and compression: 43%
• CPT: 28%
• Compression: 12% (not rated as stand-alone therapy)

• Low-level laser: 12% therapy 
• Manual lymphatic drainage alone: 24%

• Exercise: 5%

• Pneumatic pump: 27%
• Self-massage: 3%

• Drugs (benzopyrones): 16%
• Elevation: 3% (not rated as stand-alone therapy)

• Limited sample size in many studies and few randomized, controlled trials