A Prospective Analysis of 100 Consecutive Lymphovenous Bypass Cases for Treatment of Extremity Lymphedema

There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

Abstract

The authors prospectively evaluated the efficacy of lymphovenous bypass in patients with lymphedema secondary to cancer treatment.

Related collections

Most cited references 35

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

A randomized comparison of sentinel-node biopsy with routine axillary dissection in breast cancer.

Umberto Veronesi, Giovanni Paganelli, Giuseppe Viale … (2003)

Although numerous studies have shown that the status of the sentinel node is an accurate predictor of the status of the axillary nodes in breast cancer, the efficacy and safety of sentinel-node biopsy require validation. From March 1998 to December 1999, we randomly assigned 516 patients with primary breast cancer in whom the tumor was less than or equal to 2 cm in diameter either to sentinel-node biopsy and total axillary dissection (the axillary-dissection group) or to sentinel-node biopsy followed by axillary dissection only if the sentinel node contained metastases (the sentinel-node group). The number of sentinel nodes found was the same in the two groups. A sentinel node was positive in 83 of the 257 patients in the axillary-dissection group (32.3 percent), and in 92 of the 259 patients in the sentinel-node group (35.5 percent). In the axillary-dissection group, the overall accuracy of the sentinel-node status was 96.9 percent, the sensitivity 91.2 percent, and the specificity 100 percent. There was less pain and better arm mobility in the patients who underwent sentinel-node biopsy only than in those who also underwent axillary dissection. There were 15 events associated with breast cancer in the axillary-dissection group and 10 such events in the sentinel-node group. Among the 167 patients who did not undergo axillary dissection, there were no cases of overt axillary metastasis during follow-up. Sentinel-node biopsy is a safe and accurate method of screening the axillary nodes for metastasis in women with a small breast cancer. Copyright 2003 Massachusetts Medical Society

0 comments Cited 335 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Incidence, treatment costs, and complications of lymphedema after breast cancer among women of working age: a 2-year follow-up study.

JANICE N. CORMIER, Sheila H Ridner, Ying Xu … (2009)

This study estimated the economic burden of breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) among working-age women, the incidence of lymphedema, and associated risk factors. We used claims data to study an incident cohort of breast cancer patients for the 2 years after the initiation of cancer treatment. A logistic regression model was used to ascertain factors associated with lymphedema. We compared the medical costs and rate of infections likely associated with lymphedema between a woman with BCRL and a matched control. We performed nonparametric bootstrapping to compare the unadjusted cost differences and estimated the adjusted cost differences in regression analysis. Approximately 10% of the 1,877 patients had claims indicating treatment of lymphedema. Predictors included treatment with full axillary node dissection (odds ratio [OR] = 6.3, P < .001) and chemotherapy (OR = 1.6, P = .01). A geographic variation was observed; women who resided in the West were more likely to have lymphedema claims than those in the Northeast (OR = 2.05, P = .01). The matched cohort analysis demonstrated that the BCRL group had significantly higher medical costs ($14,877 to $23,167) and was twice as likely to have lymphangitis or cellulitis (OR = 2.02, P = .009). Outpatient care, especially mental health services, diagnostic imaging, and visits with moderate or high complexity, accounted for the majority of the difference. Although the use of claims data may underestimate the true incidence of lymphedema, women with BCRL had a greater risk of infections and incurred higher medical costs. The substantial costs documented here suggest that further efforts should be made to elucidate reduction and prevention strategies for BCRL.

0 comments Cited 103 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Surgical complications associated with sentinel lymph node biopsy: results from a prospective international cooperative group trial.

Kristina Whitworth, Christopher E Cox, Sheryl S G Gabram … (2006)

American College of Surgeons Oncology Group Z0010 is a prospective multicenter trial designed to evaluate the prognostic significance of micrometastases in the sentinel lymph nodes and bone marrow aspirates of women with early-stage breast cancer. Surgical complications associated with the sentinel lymph node biopsy surgical procedure are reported. Eligible patients included women with clinical T1/2N0M0 breast cancer. Surgical outcomes were available at 30 days and 6 months after surgery for 5327 patients. Patients who had a failed sentinel node mapping (n=71, 1.4%) or a completion lymph node dissection (n=814, 15%) were excluded. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify predictors for the measured surgical complications. In patients who received isosulfan blue dye alone (n=783) or a combination of blue dye and radiocolloid (n=4192), anaphylaxis was reported in .1% of subjects (5 of 4975). Other complications included axillary wound infection in 1.0%, axillary seroma in 7.1%, and axillary hematoma in 1.4% of subjects. Only increasing age and an increasing number of sentinel lymph nodes removed were significantly associated with an increasing incidence of axillary seroma. At 6 months, 8.6% of patients reported axillary paresthesias, 3.8% had a decreased upper extremity range of motion, and 6.9% demonstrated proximal upper extremity lymphedema (change from baseline arm circumference of >2 cm). Significant predictors for surgical complications at 6 months were a decreasing age for axillary paresthesias and increasing body mass index and increasing age for upper extremity lymphedema. This study provides a prospective assessment of the sentinel lymph node biopsy procedure, as performed by a wide range of surgeons, demonstrating a low complication rate.