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.