Lymphedema and Breast Cancer: When Is Risk Greatest?

ksusan

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/869873?src=wnl_edit_tpal&uac=140598EY (requires free membership).

"The time course for developing lymphedema depends on the type of breast cancer treatment, but the risk peaks between 24 and 36 months post therapy, regardless of treatment type, according to new research.

Receipt of radiation therapy (RT) is also a key to the timing.

"Lymphedema develops earlier in patients who receive radiation, especially those receiving regional lymph node radiation," said the study's lead author, Susan McDuff, MD, PhD, a resident in radiation oncology at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center in Boston."

SummerAngel

Here's a link to a free article about this (you may have to sign up, though): http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/869873?src=wnl...

This was interesting: "There was a median follow-up of 3.9 years and a cumulative lymphedema incidence of 11.4% in the study population. Nearly three quarters (73%) of the patients received RT as a component of their treatment."

BarredOwl

Registration with Medscape is free, as noted by ksusan. For those who prefer not to register, you can access the full-text by googling the title of the article:

"Lymphedema and Breast Cancer: When Is Risk Greatest?"

BarredOwl