Red Light Therapy and Post-Mastectomy Lymphedema — What a Randomised Trial in Cancer Found

A 2003 randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in the journal Cancer tested low-level laser therapy in 64 women with chronic post-mastectomy arm lymphedema. Two cycles of LLLT produced significant reductions in affected limb volume, tissue induration, and pain at three-month follow-up compared with sham — a foundational reference for photobiomodulation in lymphedema care.