Bucak Ömer Faruk
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Health Sciences, Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital, İstanbul, Türkiye.
Phlebology. 2025 Jul;40(6):409-414. doi: 10.1177/02683555241310749. Epub 2024 Dec 21.
IntroductionThe increasing reliance on Internet search engines for health-related queries requires a thorough evaluation of the public's engagement with medical information. This study aims to analyze global trends in interest in lymphedema over the past decade using Google Trends (GT).MethodsA physiatrist with expertise in lymphedema management identified and analyzed 12 key search terms according to the International Society of Lymphology (ISL) guidelines. These terms included 'lymphedema swelling', 'lymphedema treatment', 'lymphedema stages', 'compression therapy for lymphedema', 'manual lymphatic drainage (MLD)', 'complete decongestive therapy (CDT)', 'pneumatic compression pump', 'lymphovenous anastomosis (LVA)', 'lymphedema surgery', 'liposuction for lymphedema', 'lymphedema prevention' and 'post-cancer lymphedema'. GT data was collected using filters set to 'web search', 'all categories', and 'worldwide' to provide a comprehensive overview. The analysis was conducted for two five-year intervals: 1 September 2014 to 31 August 2019 and 1 September 2019 to 31 August 2024. Relative search volume (RSV) was calculated for each term and compared to quantify changes over time.ResultsSignificant increases in search activity were observed for 'lymphedema swelling', 'lymphedema treatment', 'lymphedema stages', 'manual lymphatic drainage', 'lymphedema surgery', and 'post-cancer lymphedema' in the second period ( = 0.001 for each). The average GT score increased from 19 in 2014-2019 to 29 in 2019-2024 ( = 0.001), reflecting a significant increase in public awareness and interest.ConclusionThe study shows a significant increase in global public interest in lymphedema and its minimally invasive treatments over the past 5 years, suggesting a growing awareness of the condition. These findings highlight the need for improved patient education and research to meet the increasing demand for lymphedema care.
引言
公众越来越依赖互联网搜索引擎来查询与健康相关的问题，这就需要对公众与医学信息的互动进行全面评估。本研究旨在利用谷歌趋势（GT）分析过去十年全球对淋巴水肿兴趣的趋势。
方法
一位在淋巴水肿管理方面具有专业知识的物理治疗师根据国际淋巴学会（ISL）指南确定并分析了12个关键搜索词。这些术语包括“淋巴水肿肿胀”“淋巴水肿治疗”“淋巴水肿分期”“淋巴水肿的加压治疗”“手法淋巴引流（MLD）”“完全减压疗法（CDT）”“气动加压泵”“淋巴静脉吻合术（LVA）”“淋巴水肿手术”“淋巴水肿抽脂术”“淋巴水肿预防”和“癌症后淋巴水肿”。使用设置为“网络搜索”“所有类别”和“全球范围”的过滤器收集GT数据，以提供全面的概述。分析在两个五年区间进行：2014年9月1日至2019年8月31日和2019年9月1日至2024年8月31日。计算每个术语的相对搜索量（RSV）并进行比较，以量化随时间的变化。
结果
在第二个时期，观察到“淋巴水肿肿胀”“淋巴水肿治疗”“淋巴水肿分期”“手法淋巴引流”“淋巴水肿手术”和“癌症后淋巴水肿”的搜索活动显著增加（每个均P = 0.001）。GT平均得分从2014 - 2019年的19增加到2019 - 2024年 的29（P = 0.001），反映出公众意识和兴趣的显著增加。
结论
该研究表明，在过去5年中，全球公众对淋巴水肿及其微创治疗的兴趣显著增加，这表明对该疾病的认识在不断提高。这些发现凸显了改善患者教育和研究以满足对淋巴水肿护理日益增长的需求的必要性。
