Risk Factors of Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema

Risk Factors of Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema

Yehia Mohammed Safwat(1), Mohammed Abdel-SabourShaala(2), Mohsen Mokhtar Ibrahim(3),MokhtarHamoodAbdulwahid

Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt

Lymphedema is one of the most problematic complications following breast cancer treatment, therisk factors for the breast cancer related Lymphedema are multifactorial and are not fully understood.This is a prospective case control study. Patients included had breast carcinoma (128) and all had operable breast cancer that will undergo loco-regional therapy (surgery ± radiotherapy). Diagnosis for Lymphedema was stated asby measurement method in which a difference of ≥ 2cm 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.Univariate analysis showed significant difference between the groups of patients with and those without Lymphedema regarding older age (0.014), BMI>30 (0.005),hard work(0.004),ipsilateral dominant arm (0.021), history of injury (0.001) and infection (0.001) to ipsilateral arm, positive lymphadenopathy (0.020), advanced stage of cancer(0.009), positive HER- 2 / neu receptor ( 0.001), level III axillary dissection (0.001) and patients who did not receive information about BCRL and /or did not follow prophylactic advice (0.001). Meanwhile, 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 / neu receptor (0.037),level IIIaxillary dissection (0.001)and patients who did not receive information about BCRL and /or did not follow prophylactic advice (0.016) had significant relation to lymphedema.Regarding the severity of lymphedema; history of injury(0.017), cellulites (0.044) and obesity (BMI ≥30) (0.018) had significant association with the degree of severity.

Health teams and patients must be aware of the prevention and early treatment of Lymphedema.

Keywords: Lymphedema, risk factors, breast carcinoma.

Biography

MokhtarHamoodAbdulwahid has completed his MSc at the age of 35 years from AdenUniversity , Yemen and is enrolled in his PHD studies from Cairo University School of Medicine, Egypt. (1) Professor of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University (2) Professor of Surgery, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University (3) Professor of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University.

Presenting author details
Full name: MokhtarHamoodAbdulwahid
Contact number: 00201277640991
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Session name/ number: surgical oncology
Category: ( Poster presentation)

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