Table 1.
Baseline Subject Characteristics by Study Site
| No. (%) of patients* |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristics | Site A (experimental) (n=41) | Site B (comparison) (n=31) | p-value† |
| Demographic data, mean (SD) | |||
| Age, y | 55.1 (14.8) | 62.8 (14.1) | 0.03 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 27.1 (5.4) | 27.0 (4.2) | 0.96 |
| Lymph nodes dissected, no. | 7.6 (6.3) | 9.7 (6.3) | 0.16 |
| Lymph nodes positive, no. | 1.8 (4.2) | 1.4 (3.7) | 0.66 |
| Cancer stage | |||
| DCIS or Stage 1 | 2 (4.9) | 2 (6.5) | 0.94 |
| Stage II | 14 (34.1) | 10 (32.2) | |
| Stage III | 19 (46.3) | 13 (41.9) | |
| Unknown | 6 (14.6) | 6 (19.4) | |
| Surgery type | |||
| Modified radical mastectomy | 22 (53.7) | 7 (22.6) | 0.03 |
| Simple mastectomy | 7 (17.1) | 9 (29.0) | |
| Breast conserving | 12 (29.3) | 15 (48.4) | |
| Previous breast surgery‡ | 9 (22.0) | 6 (19.4) | 0.79 |
| Treatment | |||
| Reconstruction | 22 (53.7) | 3 (9.7) | <0.01 |
| Adjuvant radiation | 22 (53.7) | 14 (45.2) | 0.48 |
| Adjuvant chemotherapy | 16 (39) | 16 (32.3) | 0.55 |
| Muscular strength (MMT) | |||
| Shoulder abduction <5 |
11 (26.8) |
6 (19.4%) |
0.46 |
| 5 | 30 (73.2) | 25 (80.6%) | |
| Shoulder flexion <5 |
10 (24.4) |
3 (9.7%) |
0.11 |
| 5 | 31 (75.6) | 28 (90.3%) | |
| Shoulder external rotation <5 |
11 (26.8) |
5 (16.1%) |
0.28 |
| 5 | 30 (73.2) | 26 (83.9%) | |
| Elbow flexion <5 |
10 (24.4) |
4 (12.9%) |
0.22 |
| 5 | 31 (75.6) | 27 (87.1%) | |
| Risk factors for lymphedema | |||
| Presence of >1 risk factor | 19 (46.3) | 15 (48.4) | 0.85 |
| >5 nodes dissected | 22 (53.7) | 23 (74.2) | 0.08 |
| Postoperative infection | 4 (9.8) | 2 (6.5) | 0.62 |
| Radiation | 22 (53.7) | 14 (45.2) | 0.48 |
| BMI >30 | 8 (19.5) | 6 (19.4) | 0.99 |
| Preoperative pain | 3 (7.3) | 3 (9.7) | 0.72 |
*
Unless otherwise specified.
†
Based on independent samples t-test for continuous variables and chi-square tests for categorical variables.
‡
Either another primary on same side or second surgery for same cancer diagnosis (e.g., modified mastectomy following lumpectomy).
BMI=body mass index; DCIS=ductal carcinoma in situ; MMT=manual muscle testing.