Table 4.
Univariate results for association of factors with risk of lymphedema.
| Variable | Hazard Ratio | 95% Confidence Interval | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical Characteristics | |||
| Age at diagnosis* | 1.01 | 0.99–1.02 | 0.38 |
| BMI* | 1.06 | 1.04–1.09 | <0.0001 |
| Pathologic Characteristics | |||
| Invasive Tumor Size* | 1.32 | 1.22–1.44 | <0.0001 |
| Breast Surgery | |||
| Mastectomy vs. Lumpectomy | 1.87 | 1.31–2.67 | 0.0006 |
| Axillary Surgery | |||
| SLNB vs. no axillary surgery | 0.74 | 0.31–1.81 | 0.51 |
| ALND vs. SLNB | 9.17 | 5.88–14.29 | <0.0001 |
| # LNs removed* | 1.10 | 1.08–1.11 | <0.0001 |
| # Positive LNs* | 1.09 | 1.05–1.13 | <0.0001 |
| Radiation Therapy** | |||
| Partial breast only | 0.38 | 0.09–1.56 | 0.18 |
| Whole breast/chest wall only | 0.85 | 0.51–1.42 | 0.53 |
| Whole breast/chest wall +SC | 5.05 | 3.11–8.19 | <0.0001 |
| Whole breast/chest wall +SC +PAB | 4.98 | 2.92–8.47 | <0.0001 |
| Systemic Therapy | |||
| Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy | 2.61 | 1.68–4.07 | <0.0001 |
| Adjuvant Chemotherapy | 2.35 | 1.62–3.39 | <0.0001 |
| Hormonal Therapy | 1.68 | 1.13–2.51 | 0.01 |
| Early Post-operative Swelling | |||
| ≥10%, ≤3 months post-operative | 12.6 | 6.06–26.1 | <0.0001 |
Abbreviations: BMI= Body Mass Index, SLNB = Sentinel lymph node biopsy, ALND = Axillary lymph node dissection, LN = Lymph node, SC = supraclavicular, PAB = posterior axillary boost
*
Analyzed as continuous variables; HR reflects the change in lymphedema risk associated with a one-unit increase
**
Reference group: no radiotherapy