Use of Smartphone Applications in Post-Mastectomy Breast Cancer Patients: A Literature Review
Keywords:
breast cancer, post-mastectomy, quality of life, smartphone applications, symptom managementAbstract
Post-mastectomy breast cancer patients frequently experience physical and psychological symptoms, including pain, fatigue, limited mobility, body image disturbance, and emotional distress that negatively affect quality of life. Smartphone applications have emerged as digital strategies to support symptom management and patient engagement during recovery. This study aimed to analyze the use of smartphone applications among post-mastectomy breast cancer patients through a literature review. Articles were retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, SAGE, and Google Scholar. A total of 342 articles were found during the search, with publication years ranging from 2021 to 2025. Of these, 11 studies that met the inclusion criteria were analyzed based on research design and symptom-related outcomes. The findings indicate that smartphone applications improve symptom monitoring through electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePRO), enhance self-efficacy, and reduce psychological distress and anxiety. Several studies also reported improvements in quality of life and adherence to rehabilitation programs. However, evidence regarding long-term physical symptom improvement remains inconsistent. In conclusion, smartphone applications serve as effective supportive interventions for symptom management and recovery among post-mastectomy breast cancer patients, although further standardized and long-term studies
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