Table 5.
Literature Reporting Measured Lymphedema After SLNB
| First Author and Year | No. of Patients
|
Follow-Up (months) | Preoperative Measurements | Measurement Method | Definition of Lymphedema | Comparison Group | Lymphedema Less After SLNB | Proportion With Lymphedema (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entire Study | SLNB | ||||||||
| Schrenk,5 2000 | 70 | 35 | Mean 15.4 | Yes | Circumference | L as continuous variable | ALND | S | — |
| Sener,19 2001 | 420 | 303 | Median 19 | Yes | Volume displacement | — | SLNB + ALND | S | 3 |
| Burak,6 2002 | 96 | 48 | Mean 15.3 | No | Circumference | Ratio with/difference from contralateral as continuous variable | SLNB + ALND | S | — |
| Haid,7 2002 | 197 | 57 | Mean 18 | No | Circumference | > 2 cm difference from contralateral and edema | Historical ALND | S | 3.5 |
| Haid,8 2002 | 151 | 66 | Minimum 2 | No | Circumference | > 10% difference from contralateral | ALND | S | — |
| Golshan,9 2003 | 125 | 77 | Minimum 12 | No | Circumference | > 3 cm difference from contralateral | ALND | S | 2.6 |
| Veronesi,10 2003 | 200 | 100 | 24 | No | Circumference | > 2 cm difference from contralateral | SLNB + ALND RCT | S | 0 |
| Leidenius,2 2005 | 139 | 92 | Median 36 | No | Circumference | ≥ 2 cm difference from contralateral | ALND | S | 0 |
| Purushotham,12 2005 | 277 | 134 (SLNB ± ALND) | Maximum 12 | Yes | Circumference | L as continuous variable | SLNB ± ALND versus ALND RCT | S | — |
| Ronka,13 2005 | 83 | 43 | 12 | Yes | Circumference | (L/Ib) > 10% | SLNB + ALND | NS | 2 |
| Mansel,14 2006 | 816 | 413 (SLNB ± ALND or RT) | 12 | Yes | Circumference | — | SLNB ± ALND or RT versus ALND RCT | NS | — |
| Rietman,15 2006 | 181 | 57 | 24 | Yes | Circumference | Change from baseline as continuous variable | ALND ± SLNB | S | — |
| Wilke,16 2006 | 2,904 | 2,904 | 6 | Yes | Circumference | L > 2 cm | — | — | 7 |
| Langer,3 2007 | 635 | 431 | Median 31 | Yes | Circumference | ≥ 2 cm difference from baseline or contralateral, or edema | SLNB + ALND | S | 3.5 |
| Lucci,17 2007 | 821 | 411 | 12 | Yes | Circumference | L ≥ 2 cm | SLNB + ALND RCT | NS | 6 |
| Current study | 936 | 600 | Median 60 | Yes | Circumference | L > 2 cm | SLNB + ALND | S | 5 |
NOTE. L = (If/u − Ib) –(Cf/u − Cb), where I indicates ipsilateral upper-extremity circumference, C indicates contralateral upper-extremity circumference, f/u indicates follow-up, and b indicates baseline.
Abbreviations: SLNB, sentinel lymph node biopsy; ALND, axillary lymph node dissection; S, significant; RCT, randomized control trial; RT, radiotherapy; NS, not significant; circumference, arm circumference measurements.