Reducing Rates of Chronic Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema With Screening & Early Intervention: An Update of Recent Data

Authors

Pat Whitworth
Frank Vicini, Beaumont Health
Stephanie Valente
Kirstyn Brownson
Beth Dupree
Manpreet Kohli
Laura Lawson
Chirag Shah

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

3-1-2023

Publication Title

Cancer Research

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer related lymphedema (BCRL) represents a dreaded complication of breast cancer treatment that can lead to morbidity, diminished quality of life, and psychosocial harm and is associated with increased costs. Increasingly, data has supported the concept of prospective BCRL surveillance coupled with early intervention to mitigate these effects. Methods: We performed a systematic review of the literature searching for published randomized and prospective data evaluating prospective BCRL surveillance with early intervention. Results: We identified 12 studies (2,907 patients) including 4 randomized trials (1,203 patients) and 8 prospective studies (1,704 patients). Randomized data consistently demonstrate that early intervention reduces rates of progression to chronic BCRL with multiple paradigms and diagnostic modalities utilized; the strongest data in the review comes from the randomized PREVENT trial which demonstrated early detection with bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS), coupled with a compression garment applied for 12 hours a day over 4 weeks, significantly reduced the rate of chronic BCRL compared to tape measurement. Conclusions: Current data support the role of prospective BCRL surveillance with early detection and intervention to reduce rates of chronic BCRL. Breast cancer patients at risk for BCRL should undergo prospective surveillance as part of survivorship. Given the level 1 data demonstrating that BIS is superior to conventional tape measure, it should be included as the standard BCRL diagnostic modality unless an equally effective modality is employed.

Volume

83

Issue

5 Suppl

First Page

P5-08-15

Recommended Citation

Whitworth P, Vicini F, Valente S, Brownson K, Dupree B, Kohli M, et al. Reducing rates of chronic breast cancer related lymphedema with screening & early intervention: an update of recent data. Cancer Res. 2023 Mar 1;83(5 Suppl):P5-08-15. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.SABCS22-P5-08-15

Comments

2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, December 6-10, 2022, San Antonio, TX

DOI

10.1158/1538-7445.SABCS22-P5-08-15