Table 1.
Details of patients, breast cancer treatment and breast cancer-related lymphoedema (BCRL)
| BCRL |
|||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patient no. | Age (yrs) | Ipsilateral arm | Hand swelling | Operation* | Lymph node status† | Chemo-therapy | Radio-therapy | Hormonal treatment | Delay‡ (months) | Duration (months) | %# |
| 1 | 53 | R | Y | WLE | 0/5 | N | Y | Y | 18 | 71 | 32.0 (41.7) |
| 2 | 51 | R | Y | WLE | 0/14 | Y | Y | Y | 60 | 72 | 14.8 (28.8) |
| 3 | 62 | R | Y | Mast | 18/42 | Y | Y | N | 12 | 44 | 27.4 (37.2) |
| 4 | 63 | L | Y | WLE | 0/6 | N | Y | Y | 6 | 20 | 16.7 (11.3) |
| 5 | 77 | L | N | WLE | 0/19 | N | Y | Y | 0 | 204 | 38.5 (13.6) |
| 6 | 56 | R | Y | Mast | 2/5 | Y | Y | N | 0 | 152 | 38.3 (66.4) |
| 7 | 66 | R | N | Mast | 0/24 | N | N | Y | 45 | 7 | 12.1 (15.9) |
| 8 | 58 | R | N | Mast | 0/28 | N | N | Y | 24 | 54 | 14.6 (17.2) |
| 9 | 61 | L | N | Mast | 0/15 | N | N | Y | 0 | 48 | 12.1 (11.0) |
| 10 | 66 | L | Y | WLE | 13/15 | Y | Y | Y | 13 | 14 | 36.3 (43.9) |
| 11 | 50 | L | Y | Mast | 0/10 | N | Y | N | 216 | 15 | 56.4 (68.0) |
| 12 | 60 | L | N | WLE | Unknown | N | Y | Y | 0 | 168 | 22.3 (24.0) |
| 13 | 66 | L | Y | Mast | 0/16 | Y | Y | Y | 36 | 234 | 36.8 (69.3) |
| 14 | 57 | L | Y | WLE | 0/16 | N | Y | Y | 0 | 25 | 17.2 (21.1) |
| 15 | 49 | R | N | WLE | Unknown | N | Y | Y | 0 | 212 | 11.8 (18.0) |
| 16 | 67 | L | Y | WLE | 0/26 | N | Y | N | 12 | 83 | 35.3 (44.3) |
R, right; L, left; Y, yes; N, no; *WLE, wide local excision; Mast, simple mastectomy. †Number of lymph nodes positive for tumour/number excised. ‡Interval between surgery and onset of BCRL. #Percentage increase in total arm volume relative to opposite side (% increase in forearm volume in parentheses). Post-operative complications: seroma (accumulation of lymph in the axilla) in patients 10 and 16; arm swelling (resolving in < 2 months) in patients 2, 5, 8 and 9; cording (axillary web syndrome, believed to be caused by lymphangitis; a tightness experienced in the axilla or down the arm upon abduction and external rotation; a fine cord can be seen or palpated or cause guttering on the overlying skin) in patients 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12 and 14. Patient 10 was left-handed, all others were right-handed.