Lymphedema Five Years After
Posted 12/29/2010
Posted in
Many women are concerned about the possibility of lymphedema after breast surgery. Although the use of sentinel node dissection rather than full axillary node dissection has diminished the incidence, it still happens. Women who receive radiation therapy are at slightly increased risk. One confounding factor is that lymphedema can occur at any time--even years after surgery. This means that we all need to be aware of the symptoms and sensible precautions, even as the healthy years pass. For more information about risk and avoidance, check out the National Lympedema Network: www.lymphnet.org
This is the abstract from an article recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology about the incidence of lymphedema five years after surgery. I give you the excerpt and then a link to read more:
Prevalence of Lymphedema in Women With Breast Cancer
5 Years After Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy or Axillary
Dissection: Patient Perceptions and Precautionary Behaviors
Sarah A. McLaughlin, Mary J. Wright, Katherine T. Morris, Michelle R. Sampson, Julia P. Brockway,
Karen E. Hurley, Elyn R. Riedel, and Kimberly J. Van Zee
Purpose
Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy was adopted for the staging of the axilla with the assumption that it would reduce the risk of lymphedema in women with breast cancer. This study was undertaken to examine patient perceptions of lymphedema and use of precautionary behaviors several years after axillary surgery.
Patients and Methods
Nine hundred thirty-six women who underwent SLN biopsy (SLNB) alone or SLNB followed by axillary lymph node dissection (SLNB/ALND) between June 1, 1999, and May 30, 2003, were evaluated at a median of 5 years after surgery. Patient-perceived lymphedema and avoidant behaviors were assessed through interview and administered a validated instrument, and compared with arm measurements.
Results
Current arm swelling was reported in 3% of patients who received SLNB alone versus 27% of patients who received SLNB/ALND (P ?? .0001), as compared with 5% and 16%, respectively, with measured lymphedema. Only 41% of patients reporting arm swelling had measured lymphedema, and 5% of patients reporting no arm swelling had measured lymphedema. Risk factors associated with reported arm swelling were greater body weight (P ?? .0001), higher body mass index (P ?? .0001), infection (P ?? .0001), and injury (P ?? .007) in the ipsilateral arm since surgery. Patients followed more precautions if they had measured or perceived lymphedema.
Conclusion
Body weight, infection, and injury are significant risk factors for perceiving lymphedema. There is significant discordance between the presence of measured and patient-perceived lymphedema. When compared to SLNB/ALND, SLNB-alone results in a significantly lower rate of patient- perceived arm swelling 5 years postoperatively, and is perceived by fewer women than are measured to have it.
J Clin Oncol 26:5220-5226. © 2008 by American Society of Clinical Oncology
http://tinyurl.com/2c9dnd7
Tags: