背景與目的：有關減腫脹淋巴療法療效的研究多缺乏控制組，因此，本研究設計以受試者本身為接受治療期當作控制期，以降低自然病程之影響，來檢測此療法對乳癌相關淋巴水腫之療效。方法：以罹患淋巴水腫超過3個月以上之單側乳癌病人為對象。收案後，每位病人皆以l個月為控制期，再接著l個月之介入期，在控制期前、後及介入期之後共接受3次評估。在介入期間，每位病人接受每週五次，每次2小時（包括l小時減腫脹淋巴療法及l小時循環機治療），一共四周。評估項目包括人口學及醫療資料、腫脹程度、上肢水組成、淋巴水腫相關症狀、生活品質以及病人參與順從度。以一方重複檢定與Friedman檢定來比較三次測量間的差異。結果：控制期間各項測量均未有顯著改變；在介入後，多餘腫脹程度、上肢水組成皆有顯著減少(p<0.0083)，有五項症狀有明顯改善(p<0.0167)。結論：減腫脹淋巴療法加上循環機治療對於乳癌相關淋巴水腫有正向之療效。

Background and Purpose: Many investigators measured treatment effectiveness of decongestive lymphatic therapy (DLT) combined with pneumatic compress ion (PC). However, most of them did not use controls. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of this management using the subjects themselves as controls to minimize the influence of spontaneous change with time. Methods: Subjects with unilateral breast cancer-related lymphedema were recruited. Each subject went through a control period, an intervention period and three measure ments. They were treated with DLT combined with 1-hour PC for 2 hours/session, one session/day, 5 sessions weekly for 4 weeks. The outcome measures included demographic and medical information, the severity of swelling, water composition, lymphedema-related symptoms, quality of life and subjects' compliance. One-way repeated measures and Friedman tests were used to examine the differences among three evaluations. Results: There was no significant change in all of the measurements in the control period. Significant reductions in excess water displacement, excess circumference, excess water composition (p<0.0083) and 5 symptoms after intervention (p<0.0167). Conclusions: The use of DLT combined with PC in treating patients with lymphedema has shown positive therapeutic responses.