Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema
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- Category: Vol. 84, December 2016
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Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema, YEHIA SAFWAT, MOHAMMED SHAALAN, MOHSEN MOKHTAR and MOKHTAR HAMOOD
Abstract
Background: Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema (BCRL) is a distressing problem affecting many women after breast cancer surgery, its pathophysiology is poorly understood and likely to be complex, multifactorial and not fully understood.
Objectives: To determine the risk factors associated with the presence and severity of breast cancer related upper arm Lymphedema and evaluate the efficacy of conservative treat-ment.
Methods: This is a case control study. Patients included had breast carcinoma (128) and all had operable breast cancer that will undergo loco-regional therapy (surgery ± radiother-apy). Diagnosis for Lymphedema was stated as by measure-ment method in which a difference of ³2cm at either level between the two arms is generally accepted for diagnosis for Lymphedema. Assessment of Lymphedema and risk factors was performed by logistic regression.
Results: The mean time of appearance of upper arm lym-phedema postoperatively was 14.23±13.93 months, 67.2% of cases appeared in the first year and 84.4% of cases appeared within two years, 23 of patients (35.9%) had mild lymphedema, 25 (39.1) of patients had moderate lymphedema and 16 (25%) of patients had severe lymphedema. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed only age (0.003), history of injury (0.004), cellulitis (0.017), advanced cancer stage (0.033), positive HER-2/neureceptor (0.037) and level III axillary dissection (0.001) had significant relation to lymphedema. Regarding the severity of lymphedema; history of injury (0.017), cellulites (0.044) and obesity (BMI ³30) (0.018) had significant asso-ciation with the degree of severity.
Conclusions: Health teams and patients must be aware of the prevention and early treatment of Lymphedema.