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Background: Lymphedema (LE) is a significant clinical problem for breast cancer survivors. While the water displacement test and circumferential assessment using a tape measure (TM) are common methods to assess differences in arm volumes, faster and more reliable methods are needed. Study purposes, in breast cancer survivors (n = 294), were to compare the average total arm volumes and interlimb volume ratios for women with and without a history of LE, using a TM and three-dimensional (3D), whole-body surface scanner (3D scan); compare the level of agreement between arm volumes and interlimb volume ratios obtained using the two devices; and evaluate the percent agreement between the two measures in classifying cases of LE using three accepted thresholds. Methods and Results: Measurements were done using a spring-loaded TM and Fit3D ProScanner. Paired t-tests and Bland-Altman analyses were used to achieve the study aims. For circumference and volume comparisons, compared with the 3D scan, values obtained using the TM were consistently smaller. In terms of level of agreement, the Bland-Altman analyses demonstrated large biases and wide limits of agreement for the calculated arm volumes and volume ratios. In terms of the classification of caseness, using the 200-mL interlimb volume difference criterion resulted in 81.6% overall agreement; using the >10% volume difference between the affected and unaffected arms resulted in 78.5% overall agreement; and using the volume ratio ≥1.04 criterion resulted in 62.5% overall agreement. For all three accepted threshold criteria, the percentage of cases was significantly different between the TM and 3D scan techniques. Conclusions: The 3D technology evaluated in this study has the potential to be used for self-initiated surveillance for LE. With improvements in landmark identification and software modifications, it is possible that accurate and reliable total arm volumes can be calculated and used for early detection.

Background: Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a chronic swelling of the arm due to breast cancer treatment. Lymphedema is diagnosed and staged on the basis of limb circumference measuremen...

Background: High blood insulin levels, insulin resistance (IR), and obesity are components of metabolic syndrome (MetS). The literature has indicated a high risk of breast cancer in patients with M...

With advances in breast cancer treatments and resultant increased survival rates, emphasis has been placed on post-treatment complications such as breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL), a chronic, negative sequela of breast cancer treatment. Accurate BCRL diagnosis necessitates longitudinal screening beginning at preoperative baseline. Prospective screening programs incorporating symptoms, objective measurements and clinical examination allow for early detection, early intervention, and improved BCRL prognosis. Currently, varied diagnostic criteria for BCRL exist, and this lack of consensus leads to variation in diagnostic and screening practices across institutions. This review outlines current diagnostic tools, including subjective and objective measurement methods and clinical examination. The merits of different criteria are evaluated and recommendations are made regarding measurement tools and diagnostic criteria for BCRL. Ultimately, the BCRL diagnostic process should be universalized and combine objective measurements, clinical evaluation, and symptoms assessment, and adhere to the best practices of the measurement tools used.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most frequent cause of secondary lymphedema. Besides being progressive and chronic, lymphedema is usually hard to treat. That is why the clinicians are more focused on the prevention of its development and progression. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the possible relationship between the age of patients and the severity of breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, and Ovid MEDLINE databases were searched for articles, which described the relationship between aging and BCRL development. Two authors searched for and selected articles independently. RESULTS: Out of 562 studies selected, 8 studies met the inclusion criteria. However, 2 papers had the same study population, so only 7 were included in the final analysis. The total number of patients in those 7 studies was 3,904. Five out of 7 studies included in our review depicted the association of more severe forms of BCRL with older age. CONCLUSION: The final analysis showed that aging is related to the severity of BCRL. However, due to heterogeneity in study outcome reporting, the cause and effect relationship could not be determined.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate self-care practices, sociodemographic and clinical factors that affect self-care and patient education among women with breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). Patients and methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study included a total of 102 women with BCRL (median age: 59 years; range, 35 to 80 years) who received lymphedema (LE) treatment at least once between July 2014 and May 2016. A Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics Form and the Lymphedema Self-care Survey were used to collect data via face-to-face interviews. Results: The median LE self-care practices score for women was 10 (range, 5 to 14). A total of 39.1% of the women implemented regular self-care. A statistically significant relationship was found between the score for perceived benefit of LE self-care and the score for self-care practice. No statistically significant difference was found among the self-care scores of the women with LE in terms of sociodemographic and clinical factors, except for education status. A total of 90.2% of the women with LE received self-care education, mostly from a physical therapy specialist and a physiotherapist. There was a statistically significant difference among self-care scores between patients who were educated and uneducated about LE. Conclusion: It is recommended that healthcare professionals should educate patients diagnosed with breast cancer to reduce LE risk and promote the implementation of self-care practices following the breast cancer surgery. Interventions should be made to increase the perceived benefits and reduce the perceived barriers and burden towards self-care behaviors to prevent and manage LE.

Background Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is associated with extensive axillary dissection. Axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) based on breast lymphatics level (BLL) was proposed to minimize the surgical extent for node-positive breast cancer patients. Methods A total of 156 consecutive sentinel lymph node-positive (SLN+) or clinically node-positive (cN+) patients underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) with indocyanine green and methylene blue (MB). The SLNs were injected with 0.1 ml MB before removal, and a standard ALND was subsequently performed. The nodes adjacent to the blue-stained axillary lymph nodes from the breast (bALNs) were sent for pathological examination separately by resecting serial tissue every 0.5 cm away from the marginal blue-stained bALNs. Then, a pilot study comparing ALND based on BLL and standard ALND was performed. Results BLL were successfully identified in 20 SLN+ (100%) and 134 cN+ (98.5%) patients. The median number of BLL was four, ranging from three to six. A horizontal line 1.0 cm away from the superior blue-stained bALN and a vertical line 1.0 cm away from the medial blue-stained bALN formed BLL II, III, and IV. All of the additional positive nodes were within 1.0 cm of the blue-stained bALNs. The minimized axillary dissection should resect upwards from the lowest BLL that contains the first confirmed negative blue-stained bALNs. In the pilot study, no patient developed axillary recurrence. Conclusion The ALND surgical procedure based on BLL could minimize the surgical extent for pathological node-positive breast cancer patients and potentially reduce the BCRL rate. Trial registration ChiCTR1800014247.

Introduction: Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a treatment sequela with negative physical and psychological implications. BCRL is a lifetime concern for survivors and is currently incurable. With the increase in the Latino population in the United States, it is critical for the cancer care community to address factors that increase BCRL risk and negatively impact long-term quality of life. This literature review undertook to identify successful intervention strategies for BCRL among Latina survivors. Methods: Multiple databases were searched for published articles from 2006 to 2020. PRISMA guidelines were utilized. Data were extracted related to physical activity, diet, and psychosocial stress concerns of Latinas at risk for or living with BCRL. Results: Eleven interventions combined education and skill-building techniques to address physical activity, diet, and stress management for BCRL. Family involvement, peer-mentoring, culturally tailored education, and self-care skill development were identified as important for Latina survivors. Conclusion: Latina survivors may benefit from culturally tailored BCRL education programs and self-management interventions. Health care professionals and researchers should consider cultural influences when developing clinical intervention strategies to enhance outcomes for Latinas at risk for living with BCRL. In addition, including family members and/or peers in such strategies may be helpful to Latina survivors.

Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) has been widely reported in the medical literature. Various patient characteristics, including age, have been investigated as possible risk factors for this disease entity, but the existence and direction of the cause-and-effect relationship are still unclear. In this review, we aimed to evaluate the effect of age on development of BRCL. PubMed, Scopus, and Ovid MEDLINE were searched for relevant articles, which were found to be published between 1974 and 2020. Twenty-six studies involving 19,396 patients were selected. The average age of patients was 54.9. 26 studies were included in the final analysis, and 13 articles reported no association between age and BCRL development. Though studies presented different findings, the majority did not identify age as a risk factor for development of lymphedema. However, the level of evidence of individual studies was low. In this article, we call attention to the need for uniform design of lymphedema studies and diagnosis. All patients should be informed and screened regularly for lymphedema during and after the treatment independent of their age.

We sought to determine if bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) measurements can accurately assess changes in breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) in patients undergoing lymphovenous bypass (LVB). Patients undergoing LVB for BCRL refractory to conservative treatment from 1/2015 to 12/2018 were identified from an IRB-approved prospectively maintained database at a single institution. All breast cancer patients were assessed with baseline BIS measurements prior to any oncologic surgery and serial BIS during follow-up office visits including before and after LVB. Clinicopathologic information, LVB operative details, and pre- and post-LVB operative BIS measurements were collected. Analysis focused on clinically significant BIS change, defined as two standard deviations (SD), and comparing LVB anastomosis to BIS changes. During the study timeframe, nine patients underwent LVB for treatment of BCRL. The majority (78%) received radiation, taxane chemotherapy, and underwent axillary dissection. An average of 5.6 LVB anastomoses were performed per patient. The average change in BIS following LVB was a 3SD reduction, indicating a clinically significant change. This improvement was stable over time, with persistent 2SD reduction at 22 months postoperatively. The number of LVB anastomoses performed did not significantly correlate with the degree of BIS change. This is the first study to utilize BIS measurements to assess response to LVB surgical intervention for BCRL. BIS measurements demonstrated clinically significant improvement after LVB, providing objective evidence in support of this surgical treatment for BCRL. BIS changes should be reported as key objective data in future studies assessing BCRL interventions, including response to LVB.

Background: Bioelectrical impedance technology is a common technique used for the early detection of breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). However, studies on the threshold value established by Inbody 720 device (Biospace, Korea) have been extremely limited. We aimed to determine its reference range and cutoff values. Methods: All patients were recruited from October 2017 to October 2019 at the Peking University People's Hospital Breast Center. In total, 82 patients with unilateral BCRL and 1305 healthy subjects were recruited in this study. We measured the extracellular fluid (ECF) ratio, extracellular water (ECW) ratio, as well as the single-frequency bioimpedance analysis (SFBIA) ratios at 1 and 5 kHz with the Inbody 720 device. The Youden index-based cutoff points, mean + 2SD and mean + 3SD values of these four indicators for both dominant and nondominant arms were also calculated. Results: Data were collected from 1387 women, including healthy subjects and patients with lymphedema. All statistical analyses were performed with SPSS. Significant differences were found between the two groups in the ECW, ECF, and SFBIA ratios. For the dominant affected arms, the Youden index-based cutoff points for the ECF, ECW, as well as SFBIA ratios at 1 and 5 kHz were 1.009, 1.008, 1.068, and 1.068, respectively. For the nondominant affected arms, the Youden index-based cutoff points were 1.014, 1.013, 1.047, and 1.048, respectively. The mean + 2 standard deviations (SD) and mean + 3SD values were also calculated. Conclusions: We determined the Youden index-based cutoff points, mean + 2SD and mean + 3SD values of the ECF, ECW, as well as SFBIA ratios at 1 and 5 kHz for both dominant and nondominant arms with data from 1305 healthy subjects. Next, the Youden index-based cutoff points, the mean + 2SD and mean + 3SD values were used to recognize patients with lymphedema. We found that the Youden index-based cutoff points and the mean + 2SD showed similar identification capacity on lymphedema, and they seemed to distinguish more patients with lymphedema than mean + 3SD values.

Background: A few studies have examined the characteristics of severe breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). This study aims at analyzing the factors associated with severe lymphedema (LE) across...

PURPOSE To independently evaluate the impact of axillary surgery type and regional lymph node radiation (RLNR) on breast cancer–related lymphedema (BCRL) rates in patients with breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS From 2005 to 2018, 1,815 patients with invasive breast cancer were enrolled in a lymphedema screening trial. Patients were divided into the following 4 groups according to axillary surgery approach: sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) alone, SLNB+RLNR, axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) alone, and ALND+RLNR. A perometer was used to objectively assess limb volume. All patients received baseline preoperative and follow-up measurements after treatment. Lymphedema was defined as a ≥ 10% relative increase in arm volume arising > 3 months postoperatively. The primary end point was the BCRL rate across the groups. Secondary end points were 5-year locoregional control and disease-free-survival. RESULTS The cohort included 1,340 patients with SLNB alone, 121 with SLNB+RLNR, 91 with ALND alone, and 263 with ALND+RLNR. The overall median follow-up time after diagnosis was 52.7 months for the entire cohort. The 5-year cumulative incidence rates of BCRL were 30.1%, 24.9%, 10.7%, and 8.0% for ALND+RLNR, ALND alone, SLNB+RLNR, and SLNB alone, respectively. Multivariable Cox models adjusted for age, body mass index, surgery, and reconstruction type showed that the ALND-alone group had a significantly higher BCRL risk (hazard ratio [HR], 2.66; P = .02) compared with the SLNB+RLNR group. There was no significant difference in BCRL risk between the ALND+RLNR and ALND-alone groups (HR, 1.20; P = .49) and between the SLNB-alone and SLNB+RLNR groups (HR, 1.33; P = .44). The 5-year locoregional control rates were similar for the ALND+RLNR, ALND-alone, SLNB+RLNR, and SLNB-alone groups (2.8%, 3.8%, 0%, and 2.3%, respectively). CONCLUSION Although RLNR adds to the risk of lymphedema, the main risk factor is the type of axillary surgery used.

Objective The objectives of this study were to determine whether patients reporting symptoms are more likely to develop lymphedema and to describe the temporal relationship between symptom onset and lymphedema. Methods This was a prospective longitudinal cohort study of 647 women treated for breast cancer and screened for lymphedema using arm volume measurements and subjective questionnaires (n = 647; 2284 questionnaires [median 3.5 per patient, range = 1–24]). Primary study outcome was lymphedema (relative volume change ≥10%). The Kaplan–Meier method was used to estimate cumulative lymphedema incidence. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the relationship between symptoms, other risk factors, and lymphedema. Results A total of 64 patients (9.9%) developed lymphedema. On multivariable analysis, patients reporting increased arm size (hazard ratio = 3.09, 95% CI = 1.62–5.89) were more likely to progress to lymphedema than those who did not report this symptom. Of those who developed lymphedema, 37 (58%) reported an increased arm size a median of 6.1 months before lymphedema onset (range = 68.6 months before to 50.2 months after lymphedema onset). Conclusion Patients at risk of lymphedema who report increased arm size might do so prior to lymphedema onset and are at 3 times the risk of lymphedema as patients not reporting this symptom. Even without objective or observable edema, these patients should be followed vigilantly and considered for early intervention. Symptoms should be incorporated into screening and diagnostic criteria for lymphedema. Impact This study shows that patients at risk for breast cancer–related lymphedema who report increased arm size should be considered at high risk for progression to lymphedema—even without edema on measurement or clinical examination—and should be followed vigilantly, with consideration of early intervention. Lay summary If you are at risk of lymphedema and you feel as though your arm size has increased, you might develop lymphedema, and you are at 3 times the risk of lymphedema as patients not reporting this symptom. Even without measurable or observable edema, you should be followed vigilantly and consider early intervention.

To present and discuss care domains (oncologic, cardiometabolic, aging, behavioral, environmental) for clinicians when approaching care for a breast cancer survivor at risk for developing breast cancer–related lymphedema (BCRL), as well as survivors who have been diagnosed with BCRL. Assessment using each domain aids in decision-making, yet also identifies barriers to pursuing personalized care for survivors with BCRL. BCRL occurs from damage to the lymphatics during breast cancer treatment and occurs in approximately 20 to 40% of survivors. Prospective surveillance and early treatment for BCRL are supported in the literature; however, these approaches are frequently not used within evidence-based recommendations. The five domains can be used to develop a personalized plan of BCRL care. Barriers to pursuing personalized care for survivors with BCRL are identified. Future work in developing evidence-based recommendations is needed to guide clinicians and survivors during prospective surveillance, successful risk reduction, early diagnosis, and treatment of BCRL.

In this article, we report on recent advancements in reconstructive care of the breast cancer patient. New developments in sensate breast reconstruction to help address the problem of numbness after mastectomy have emerged and show promise. Methods to restore lymphatic physiologic flow after axillary lymphadenectomy using supermicrosurgical techniques have begun to show benefit by reducing the short-term incidence of breast cancer related lymphedema (BRCL). Breast implant safety has received significant recent attention and we explore the emergence of BIA-ALCL (Breast Implant Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma) and its implications for the breast cancer patient and their multidisciplinary care team.

Patients fear lymphedema as an unpredictable daily reminder of breast cancer treatment. The medical community has assumed for years that the development of breast cancer–related lymphedema (BCRL) stemmed solely from the primary surgical extirpation of the axillary lymph nodes. However, contemporary data suggest that BCRL development is multifactorial, influenced by multimodality locoregional and systemic treatment strategies and perhaps by the individual patient’s ability to form collateral lymphatic pathways after injury, as well as potentially modifiable risk factors such as body mass index (BMI). Understanding the interaction between comprehensive locoregional treatment strategies and their collective impact on overall survival and long-term adverse effects such as BCRL is critical to providing patients individualized treatment recommendations. Herein, we review important factors for the development, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of BCRL that should be considered when determining the contemporary locoregional management of breast cancer.

Background: Breast cancer related lymphedema represents a major complication of breast cancer treatment, impacting the quality of life of breast cancer survivors. Patients with lymphedema need to conduct lifelong self care activities to control the progression of swelling, manage lymphedema-associated symptom burden, and minimize long term negative outcomes. Aim: This study aimed to assess knowledge and self care practices of women with breast cancer related lymphedema. Study design: A descriptive study design was utilized to conduct this study. Setting: This study was conducted in the outpatient breast clinic at Oncology Center and Nuclear Medicine, affiliated to Ain Shams University Hospitals. Subjects: A purposive sample of 50 women newly diagnosed with breast cancer related lymphedema, post mastectomy, and treated with radiotherapy. Data collection tools: A structured interview questionnaire for women with breast cancer related lymphedema, and self care practices questionnaire. Results: The mean age of the studied women was 47.71±7.16, and about one fifth of them had satisfactory level of total knowledge regarding breast cancer related lymphedema, also; the minority of them had adequate level of total lymphedema self care practices. Moreover there is statistically significant difference between the self care practices of the studied women and their educational level. Conclusion: The majority of the studied women had unsatisfactory knowledge regarding breast cancer related lymphedema, and almost of them had inadequate lymphedema self care practices. Recommendations: Educational programs about lymphedema and risk reduction methods after the breast surgery are strongly needed. Also, continuous in service educational programs should be held for all the health care team working in breast cancer units. In addition, further researches are recommended to assess barriers to self care among patients with breast cancer related lymphedema.

PurposeBreast-cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a negative condition that affects biopsychosocial aspects of patients treated with breast cancer. Yoga has been reported as one of the complementary and alternative approaches used by patients diagnosed with BCRL. The aim of this systematic review was to explore the effectiveness of yoga on BCRL.Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature was performed by searching existing papers from the electronic scientific databases. Five papers were exclusively examined. Four studies were conducted in women with BCRL, and one study was conducted with women at risk for BCRL.FindingsFour types of yoga were evaluated in relationship with BCRL, namely: the Satyananda Yoga tradition, the modified Hatha yoga, the aerobic yoga training and the Ashtanga-based yoga practices. Four of five included studies reported that decrease in arm volume was not reported for all yoga-type interventions. One study showed no significant evidence that yoga was associated with limb volume change in women at risk of BCRL. Similarly, three studies reported that the change-of-arm-volume measures were not significantly different between the yoga and the control groups or in the same group before and after the yoga program. One quasi-experimental study reported arm volume significantly decreased after attending the yoga program.Originality/valueThis review reported the importance of being aware that yoga is not shown to be an effective strategy for managing or preventing BCRL. However, quality of research methodology, small sample sizes and the limited number of related studies should be acknowledged. Until more rigorous studies are performed, yoga may continue to be used as a complement to traditional therapy under the supervision of certified trainers.

Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) incidence has been increasing overtime. Currently, there is not a preferred imaging tool for diagnosis, staging, and assessment of the disease. We aim to review the use of ultrasound elastography (UE) in BCRL patients. A systematic review was performed by querying PubMed, EMBASE, Ovid Healthstar, and Ovid Medline databases for studies that evaluated the use of UE in BCRL. The keywords “elastography” AND “lymphedema” in titles and abstracts were used for the search. The search retrieved 12, 12, 5 and 6 articles in each database, respectively. From these, only 4 met the inclusion criteria. UE methods included two-dimensional strain imaging, shear wave elastography (SWE), and global UE. Two of the studies evaluated the use of UE in the assessment of BCRL, while only 1 considered its use for diagnosis and staging. Based on our systematic review, UE appears to be a great tool in the assessment of BCRL to differentiate affected from non-affected arms.

Objective: Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a major sequela after surgery or radiotherarpy for breast cancer. Manual lymphatic drainage...

Objective: The aim of our study was to compare plasma vitamin D levels between patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) and healthy population, and also to investigate the effects of socio-demographic and clinical factors and lymphedema severity on vitamin D levels. Materials and Methods: Eighty patients with BCRL [mean age 55.5 +/- 8.9 (36-81)] and age- and sex-matched 80 healthy controls [mean age 53.7 +/- 7.4 (32-70)] who were not on calcium or vitamin D supplementation were included in the study. Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of the subjects were questioned. Plasma 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3, calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and parathormone (PTH) levels were evaluated. Lymphedema was classified as stage 0, I, II, or III. Results: The mean duration of lymphedema was 23.5 +/- 13.8 months. Comparisons revealed lower vitamin D levels and higher PTH and ALP levels in patients with BCRL than healthy controls. As a result of multivariate regression analysis, a significant relationship was revealed between vitamin D levels and age, breast cancer stage, and disease duration in patients with BCRL. Vitamin D levels were significantly lower and PTH levels were significantly higher in stage 3 lymphedema patients compared to stage 1. Conclusion: Vitamin D levels were detected lower in patients with lymphedema than healthy controls. Although vitamin D levels were found to be lower in patients with severe lymphedema, the multivariate regression analysis revealed that the severity of lymphedema does not have a significant effect on vitamin D levels.

Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) presents as swelling in the arm, hand, trunk, or breast at varying times after completion of breast cancer treatment. Its reported incidence varies widely in part due to its dependence on the type and extent of the treatment, co-present pre-treatment risk factors, and the criteria used to define its presence. Central to this issue is the quantitative measures that are variously used to specify lymphedema thresholds for its detection and tracking over time and during treatment. The goal of this paper is to discuss these issues and the methods available for the non-invasive quantitative assessment of BCRL. Operational principles and advantages and limitations of the various methods and their clinical history of use and effectiveness are discussed.

Background: This retrospective observational study aimed to evaluate the lymphedema index ratio to predict the effect of complex decongestive therapy (CDT) in patients with breast cancer-related ly...

SIGNIFICANCE Lymphedema is chronic limb swelling from lymphatic dysfunction. The condition affects up to 250 million people worldwide. In breast cancer patients, lymphedema occurs in 30% who undergo axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). Recent Advances: Immediate lymphatic reconstruction (ILR), also termed Lymphatic Microsurgical Preventing Healing Approach (LyMPHA), is a method to decrease the risk of lymphedema by performing prophylactic lymphovenous anastomoses at the time of ALND. The objective of this study is to assess the risk reduction of ILR in preventing lymphedema. CRITICAL ISSUES Lymphedema has significant effects on the quality of life and morbidity of patients. Several techniques have been described to manage lymphedema after development, but prophylactic treatment of lymphedema with ILR may decrease risk of development to 6.6%. FUTURE DIRECTIONS Long-term studies that demonstrate efficacy of ILR may allow for prophylactic management of lymphedema in the patient undergoing lymph node dissection. .

Precise staging of breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is important to guide treatment-decision making. Recent studies have suggested staging of BCRL using indocyanine green lymphangiography (ICG-L) based on the extent of lymphatic injury and dermal backflow patterns. Currently, the benefits of ICG-L compared to conventional clinical staging are unknown. For this study, we included 200 patients with unilateral BCRL. All BCRL patients were staged using ICG-L and clinical exam. The amounts of excess arm volume, fat mass and lean mass were compared between stages using Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry. Multivariate regression models were used to adjust for confounders. For each increase in the patient's ICG-L stage, the excess arm volume, fat mass and lean mass was increased by 8, 12 and 6.5 percentage points respectively (P P

BACKGROUND Early intervention with self-management strategies can potentially reduce the risk of progression of breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). OBJECTIVE To determine if The-Optimal-Lymph-Flow (TOLF) program focused on self-management strategies applied to patients with a subclinical or mild stage of BCRL can improve lymphedema-related behaviors, symptom experience, and limb circumference changes. METHODS A total of 41 women with subclinical or mild lymphedema were enrolled in TOLF program. Lymphedema-related behaviors and lymphedema-related symptom experiences were measured by the Breast Cancer and Lymphedema Symptom Experience Index, and limb circumference changes were measured by sequential circumferential limb measurements at baseline and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the intervention. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate the effects of the intervention on outcomes. RESULTS Generalized estimating equations revealed that lymphedema-related behaviors and the number and severity of lymphedema-related symptoms were significantly improved at 4 postintervention test points compared with baseline (all P < .001). Reduced lymphedema-related symptom distress in functional, social, emotional, and psychological and self-perception (all P < .01) also resulted. The majority (77.5%) of patients maintained their preintervention lymphedema status; 17.5% of them reversed from mild lymphedema to subclinical lymphedema; 5.0% of them had lymphedema status progression. CONCLUSION Positive outcomes in terms of lymphedema-related behaviors, relieving lymphedema-related symptom experience, and halting the progression of lymphedema status were documented following TOLF. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Nurses could educate patients to incorporate the self-management strategies of TOLF program into daily life to help patients prevent or reverse subclinical or mild stage of BCRL.

Background Among the different cancers found in women, breast cancer is the most common. Breast cancer-related lymphedema is a serious health complication affecting the quality of life and sleep quality. This study evaluates the quality of life and sleep quality among Saudi women with different stages of lymphedema following the treatment of breast cancer. Methods This cross-sectional correlational study included 163 Saudi women with breast cancer-related lymphedema (Stages I-III), aged 28 to 56 years. From the patients identified for this study, women who suffered from mental and psychological dysfunctions or other malignant disorders were excluded. Copies of structured questionnaires were given to each participant during their visits to outpatient physiotherapy clinics. Quality of life was assessed using a valid questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30), while sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The differences between the different lymphedema stages have been assessed. Results Of the total number of participants 27 women had been diagnosed with stage I lymphedema, 84 women had been diagnosed with stage II lymphedema, and 52 women had been diagnosed with stage III lymphedema. All participants have shown low scores on both EORTC QLQ-C30 and PSQI. While analyzing the differences between the 3 stages of lymphedema with the Kruskal–Wallis test, noteworthy statistical differences between the 3 stages of lymphedema ( P Conclusion and Recommendations Both quality of life and quality of sleep have significantly decreased in Saudi women with different stages of breast cancer-related lymphedema. Quality of life and quality of sleep are the worst in stage III lymphedema patients. Future research should consider repeat and enlarge these results as well as assess the risk factors that affect the quality of life and quality of sleep among Saudi women suffering from breast cancer-related lymphedema.

Background: Of the 1.38 million women who are diagnosed every year with breast cancer worldwide, 21% will develop arm lymphedema. Near-infrared fluorescence lymphatic imaging (NIRFLI) is an effective method for real-time evaluation of the lymphatic system. Reliability studies of the scoring of this NIRFLI are lacking. The aim of this study is to investigate if evaluation of the superficial lymphatic architecture and transport in patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema through NIRFLI can be performed in a reliable way. Methods and Results: The outcome parameters used to assess agreement were the presence of lymphatic transport from the injection sites, of dermal backflow patterns, of efferent lymphatic vessels, and of lymph nodes. The NIRFLI evaluations were scored before and after a break separately by two assessors. Twenty patients with lymphedema of the arm and/or hand were included. After the injection, there was weak to very strong agreement regarding the presence of transport from the injection sites (K = 0.459-1.000). The interpretation of the type of dermal backflow pattern varied from weak (WK = 0.452) to very strong agreement (WK = 1.000) between the two assessors. Agreement in the visualization of efferent lymphatic vessels was weak before and after the break (K = 0.490 and K = 0.571) and agreement regarding the presence of lymph nodes was very strong (K = 1.000). Conclusion: Overall, there was moderate to strong agreement between the assessors when evaluating the lymphatic architecture and transport through NIRFLI. The study has been registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02609724). ispartof: LYMPHATIC RESEARCH AND BIOLOGY vol:20 issue:2 pages:133-143 ispartof: location:United States status: published

Background: Subcutaneous echogenicity grade (SEG) and subcutaneous echo-free space (SEFS) grade allow semiquantitation of nonspecific subcutaneous tissue inflammation and fluid accumulatio...

Background: Prospective lymphedema screening is recommended for breast cancer patients. We observed interoperator variation in perometer-acquired arm volume measurements (P-AVMs) due to pa...

Background Lymphedema is one of the major complications following breast cancer treatment. The majority of women who develop breast cancer are in their years of employment. Occupational functioning and employment are issues of significant concern among women with breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). We present a single-case study of a nurse living with BCRL for more than two decades in the Midwestern United States, as an exemplar to explore the 'return-to-work' phenomenon. Methods A sixty-minute, semi-structured interview was conducted with a selected single case ("Linda"), following a pre-interview survey. Themes and sub-concepts were generated through constant-comparison of evidence within the case. Results Themes included: the feeling of being lost, functional impairments related to BCRL and bandaging, being limited yet not being limited, and experiencing different challenges with different jobs. Overall, returning to work with BCRL was a complex phenomenon involving interactions of the disease process, the work activity, the individual, and an array of contextual factors. Conclusions Linda's struggles, efforts, and adaptations at different career points were revealing and exemplified how individuals navigate the journey of returning to work with BCRL.

The professional impact of upper limb lymphedema, which affects 15–20% of women after breast cancer treatment, has been poorly evaluated. To analyze lymphedema characteristics and global lymphedema- and/or sleeve-attributed impact (mildly inconvenient to severely debilitating) on professional activities, workplace relationships, and workstation ergonomics. Patients received a standardized, anonymous, self-administered questionnaire at consultation/hospitalization for treatment in a specialized lymphedema management center. All 134 consecutive women (March/2015–March/2017; median age 54), with 53-month median lymphedema duration and 34% median excess volume, were included; 35% considered global impact (arm-use impairment) high. For high vs. low global impact during occupational activities, univariate analyses identified global impairment as being associated with the low (23.8%), intermediate (60%), or high (63.2%) (p

Objective To find out whether levels of fibrin degradation products (FDP) and D-dimer are increased in breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) as in many vascular diseases. FDP and D-dimer have been used in blood tests to help differentiate deep vein thrombosis in the diagnosis of lymphedema. Levels of FDP and D-dimer are often elevated in patients with BCRL. Methods Patients with BCRL (group I), non-lymphedema after breast cancer treatment (group II), and deep venous thrombosis (group III) from January 2012 to December 2016 were enrolled. Levels of FDP and D-dimer were measured in all groups and compared among groups. Results Mean values of FDP and D-dimer of group I were 5.614±12.387 and 1.179±2.408 μg/μL, respectively. These were significantly higher than their upper normal limits set in our institution. Levels of FDP or D-dimer were not significantly different between group I and group II. However, values of FDP and D-dimer in group III were significantly higher than those in group I. Conclusion Values of FDP and D-dimer were much higher in patients with thrombotic disease than those in patients with lymphedema. Thus, FDP and D-dimer can be used to differentiate between DVT and lymphedema. However, elevated levels of FDP or D-dimer cannot indicate the occurrence of lymphedema.

Background: We reviewed serial bioimpedance measurements in order to quantify the relationship between changes in these scores and a patient's risk for developing breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). Methods and Results: From April 2010 through November 2016, 505 patients were prospectively evaluated using bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS/L-Dex). Patients received preoperative and postoperative L-Dex measurements and were categorized based upon risk for BCRL with respect to axillary staging procedure, radiation use, taxane use, and body mass index (BMI). L-Dex change was associated with the type and number of BCRL risk factors. Both axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) and regional nodal irradiation (RNI) were associated with a greater change in L-Dex (p

Indocyanine green lymphangiography (ICG-L) allows real-time investigation of lymphatics. Plastic surgeons performing lymphatic reconstruction use the ICG-L for patient selection and stratification using the MD Anderson (MDA) and the Arm Dermal Backflow (ADB) grading systems. However, the applicability of ICG-L in evaluating breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is sparse and not well established. This study comprehensively examines the usability of ICG-L in the assessment of BCRL. We prospectively performed ICG-L in 237 BCRL patients between January 2019 and February 2020. The aim of this study was to assess the interrater and intrarater agreement and interscale consensus of ratings made using the MDA and ADB scales. Three independent raters performed a total of 2607 ICG-L assessments. The ICG-L stage for each grading system was correlated to the lymphedema volume to assess the agreement between the ICG-L stage and clinical severity. The interrater agreement was near perfect for the MDA scale (kappa 0.82–0.90) and the ADB scale (kappa 0.80–0.91). Similarly, we found a near-perfect intrarater agreement for the MDA scale (kappa 0.84–0.94) and the ADB scale (kappa 0.88–0.89). The agreement between the MDA and the ADB scales was substantial (kappa 0.65–0.68), however, the ADB scale systematically overestimated lower ICG-L stages compared to the MDA scale. The volume of lymphedema correlated slightly with MDA stage (Spearmans rho = 0.44, p &lt, 0.001) and ADB stage (rs = 0.35, p &lt, 0.001). No serious adverse events occurred. The staging of BCRL with ICG-L is reliable, safe, and provides unique disease information unobtainable with clinical measurements alone. The MDA scale seems to provide better disease stratification compared to the ADB scale.

Background: Patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) have lower quality of life (QOL). However, some important predictors, such as the effect of age, lymphedema severity, depression, a...

Hintergrund: Brustkrebs ist die häufigste Krebserkrankung bei Frauen. Die Betroffenen werden mit einer Kombination aus Operation, Chemotherapie und Strahlentherapie behandelt. Besonders die axilläre Lymphknotendissektion und die Bestrahlung der axillären Lymphknoten sind behandlungsbedingte Risikofaktoren für ein Lymphödem. Auch wenn ein Lymphödem keinen lebensbedrohlichen Zustand darstellt, handelt es sich um eine chronische Erkrankung. Sie führt zu erheblichen Einschränkungen und wiederkehrenden Infektionen der Extremität. Neben der Standardbehandlung mit manueller Lymphdrainage, Kompression und therapeutischen Übungen werden immer häufiger elastische Lymphtapes zur Behandlung eingesetzt. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es anhand von klinischen Studien, den Effekt von elastischen Lymphtapes (in Bezug auf Armvolumen und Armumfang) bei Patientinnen mit Lymphödem nach einem Mammakarzinom aufzuzeigen. Methode: Dazu wurde eine Literaturrecherche in den Datenbanken PubMed, PEDro und Cochrane Library durchgeführt. Fünf passende Studien wurden für diese Arbeit ausgewählt. Ergebnisse: Alle fünf Studien zeigen, dass elastische Lymphtapes eine effektive Behandlungsmöglichkeit von sekundären Lymphödemen sein können. Sowohl Armvolumen und Armumfang als auch brustkrebsassoziierte Symptome konnten verringert werden. Drei der Arbeiten schreiben dem Tape besser Ergebnisse zu als der Behandlung mit Kompressionskleidung oder Bandagen. KT ist im Vergleich zur Standardbehandlung mit Kompression von den Teilnehmerinnen als angenehmer empfunden worden. Eine Studie untersuchte mit der Anlage von Quasi-KT einen möglichen Placebo-Effekt. Die Ergebnisse waren in der Quasi-KT und der KT-Gruppe ähnlich groß. Schlussfolgerung: Es lässt sich sagen, dass KT eine Alternative zur Standardbehandlung darstellt. Zudem ist die Akzeptanz bei Patientinnen mit Tapes höher als bei Standardbehandlungen mit Bandagen oder Kompressionskleidung. Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. Affected women are treated with a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. In particular, axillary lymph node dissection and irradiation of the axillary lymph nodes are treatment-related risk factors for lymphedema. Even if a lymphedema is not a life-threatening condition, it is a chronic disease. It leads to considerable restrictions and recurring infections of the extremities. In addition to the standard treatment with manual lymphatic drainage, compression and therapeutic exercises, elastic lymphatic tapes are increasingly being used for treatment. The aim of this work is to use clinical studies to show the effect of elastic lymph tapes in relation to arm volume and arm circumference of patients with lymphedema after breast cancer. Method: A literature search in the PubMed, PEDro and Cochrane Library databases was carried out. Five matching studies were selected for this work. Results: All five studies show, that elastic lymph tapes can be an effective treatment for secondary lymphedema. Arm volume or arm circumference as well as breast cancer-associated symptoms could be reduced. Three of the papers attribute better results to the tape than to treatment with compression garment or bandages. In comparison to the standard treatment with compression, KT was found to be more pleasant for the participants. A study examined a possible placebo effect with the installation of Quasi-KT. The results of the quasi-KT were similar to the KT group. Conclusion: It can be said that KT is an alternative to standard treatment. In addition, the acceptance of tapes is higher than the acceptance of standard treatments with bandages or compression clothing.