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Evaluation of Adherence to Rehabilitation: Autonomous and Guided, in the Observation and Treatment Response of Head and Neck Lymphedema in Neoplasms During Radiotherapy
Sponsor: Hopital Forcilles
Summary
Head and neck lymphedema is a common complication after treatment for head and neck cancer. It can cause swelling of the face and neck, discomfort, reduced neck and jaw mobility, swallowing difficulties, and a negative impact on quality of life. One usual treatment approach includes manual lymphatic drainage, exercises, skin care, and the use of a compression garment worn for several hours each day. However, wearing a compression garment for a long period may be difficult for patients because of discomfort, appearance, social constraints, or practical limitations, which may reduce adherence to treatment. The ARAGORN study aims to determine whether a more autonomous rehabilitation program, based on patient education, self-drainage, targeted exercises, and short-duration compression bandaging performed twice daily, leads to better treatment adherence than the usual recommended approach using prolonged compression garment wear. The main question of the study is whether patients receiving the autonomous, guided rehabilitation program are more likely to adhere to their prescribed lymphedema treatment over the radiotherapy period than patients receiving the usual recommended care. The study hypothesis is that a patient-centered, self-management approach may improve adherence by making treatment easier to integrate into daily life, while maintaining potential benefits on swelling, symptoms, function, and quality of life.
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
56
Start Date
2026-09-22
Completion Date
2028-10
Last Updated
2026-09-24
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Autonomous Guided Rehabilitation Program
Participants assigned to this arm receive an autonomous, guided rehabilitation program for external head and neck lymphedema. The program includes supervised education in self-manual lymphatic drainage, self-application of short-duration multilayer compression bandaging, targeted cervico-facial and mandibular exercises, daily cervico-facial and scapular exercises, and skin care. Self-bandaging is performed twice daily for approximately 1 hour per session and is associated with active exercises.
Usual recommended care
Participants assigned to this arm receive the usual recommended rehabilitation care for external head and neck lymphedema. This includes manual lymphatic drainage performed by a physiotherapist, daily cervico-facial and scapular exercises, skin care including skin monitoring and prevention of radiodermatitis, and use of an adapted compression garment for at least 8 hours per day, continuously or intermittently, with adherence monitoring.