BaROQUE: RCT - Breast Oedema: Quantify and Improve: Assessment and treatment of breast oedema in women following breast cancer treatment - A randomised controlled trial

After breast cancer surgery and radiotherapy, some women develop persistent swelling in the breast known as breast oedema — a build-up of fluid under the skin that causes heaviness, tightness, and discomfort. This randomised trial tests whether a combination of manual lymphatic drainage (a specialised massage technique) and wearing a compression bra can reduce this oedema and improve how the breast feels and looks. Participants are randomly assigned to either receive the treatment immediately (two 1-hour manual drainage sessions per week for 3 weeks, plus wearing a compression bra 12 hours daily) or to a waiting-list group that receives treatment after 3 weeks. All participants have MRI, mammogram, and ultrasound scans and complete symptom questionnaires. You may be eligible if you are a woman aged 18 or over who completed radiotherapy for early breast cancer (after breast-conserving surgery) between 3 months and 3 years ago, and have bothersome breast swelling. You should not currently be receiving lymphoedema treatment, have breast implants, have metastatic disease, or have had a mastectomy. You must be able to attend the treatment sessions and have no contraindications to MRI scanning.