Telemonitoring Technologies for Breast Cancer Rehabilitation: A Narrative Review of Digital Health Solutions

Long-term functional impairments, including deficits in upper limb mobility, cancer-related fatigue, and reduced physical performance, are often reported by breast cancer survivors, underlining the need for sustainable and easily accessible rehabilitation techniques. Telemonitoring technologies have shown promising results in extending rehabilitation outside of clinical settings. However, the increasing number of technological solutions make it difficult to outline the optimal approach in the comprehensive management of breast cancer patients. Therefore, this narrative review aimed to provide an overview of contemporary digital and sensor-based telemonitoring solutions for breast cancer rehabilitation. To find pertinent research published in recent years, major scientific databases were searched, with emphasis on clinical applications and technology advancements in oncology rehabilitation. The results identified different digital solutions, including wearable sensors, surface electromyography systems, computer vision techniques, virtual reality environments, three-dimensional motion analysis, and mobile health platforms. These technologies have shown promising results in remote delivery of rehabilitation programs, enhancing patient involvement and adherence, and providing objective and ongoing evaluation of functional performance. However, a lack of standardization and a lack of clinical validation in cancer populations are major limitations. Altogether, telemonitoring is a potential strategy for improving rehabilitation pathways in breast cancer survivors, but further studies are required to develop solid standards and enable widespread adoption in cancer rehabilitation clinical practice.