Understanding the Feelings of Breast Cancer Survivors with Lymphedema in Various Social Relationships: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis

Background: Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema (BCRL) is a chronic condition requiring lifelong care, impacting survivors’ quality of life. Social relationships play a crucial role in survivorship, yet research on their broader impact remains limited. Many Breast Cancer Survivors with Lymphedema (BCSWL) struggle with work, relationships, and self-esteem. This review explores their social experiences to inform healthcare strategies and improve self-management. Method: Based on the Joanna Briggs Institute meta-aggregation approach, article screening and data analysis were conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The quality of the screened articles was evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research (JBI-QARI), and the Confidence in the Qualitative Synthesis of Findings (ConQual) approach was conducted to grade aggregated findings. Results: This review included 14 studies and focused primarily on 4 types of relationships: family, work colleagues, romantic relationships, and all relational partners (with some papers discussing overlapping relationship themes). We identified 4 synthesized findings that explore the experiences of BCSWL under different social relationships: (a) negotiating health and role expectations, (b) experiencing psychosocial pressure and stigmatization, (c) experiencing support from social networks, and (d) developing adaptive resilience and identity reconstruction. Conclusions: BCSWL experience complex and multifaceted outcomes within various social relationships, with both positive and negative experiences shaping their health and well-being. Findings indicate that BCSWL often face heightened role conflicts in workplace and family settings, compounded by a lack of adequate support. They are also particularly vulnerable to psychosocial pressures and stigmatization in romantic relationships. Despite these challenges, BCSWL demonstrate remarkable resilience, effectively navigating these difficulties across different relational contexts. Receiving support from relational networks throughout their lifelong treatment is crucial for their overall health and well-being. The PROSPERO Registration: The study has been registered on https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/ (registration number: CRD42024541249).