Edema of the arm with associated recurrent bouts of cellulitis, occurring immediately or as late as twenty years after treatment of breast cancer, has been a very common and major complication since the initiation of surgical treat ment of breast cancer. We now know the cause and have developed methods to prevent and treat the complication.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Gallagher PG, Algird JR: Post radical mastectomy edema of the arm: The role of phlebitis. Angiology17:377-388, 1966.
2.
Silen W.: Personal communication. June, 1984.
3.
Britton RC, Nelson PA: Causes and treatment of post mastectomy lymphedema of the arm; Report of 114 cases. JAMA180:95-102, 1962.
4.
Farrow JH: Rehabilitation following radical breast surgery. Cancer16:222-223, 1966.
5.
DeVita VT et al: Principles and Practice of Oncology. Philadelphia , Lippincott, 1982, p. 235.
6.
Macer WP: The technique of modified radical mastectomy. Surg Gynecol Obstet145:68-74, 1977.
7.
Leis HP Jr, Bowers WF, Dursi J.: Post mastectomy edema of the arm. NY J Med66:618-624, 1966.
8.
Zeissler RH, Rose GB, Nelson PA: Post mastectomy lymphedema: Late results of treatment in 385 patients. Arch Phys Med Rehabil53:159-166, 1972.
9.
Donegan WL, Spratt JS: Cancer of the Breast, ed. 2. Philadelphia, Saunders, 1979, pp. 326-327.
10.
Stark RB, Kaplan JM, Kittredge RD: Lymphedema. In: Vascular Surgery, Principles and Techniques , ed. 2, ed. by Haimovici H.Connecticut, Appleton-Century Crofts, 1984, pp. 1071-1084.
11.
Stillwell GK: Treatment of post mastectomy lymphedema. In: Modem Treatment. New York, Hoebner— Harper and Row, 1969.
12.
Henry JP, Meehan JP: The Circulation—An Integrative Physiologic Study. Chicago, New York Med Pub Inc, 1971 , pp. 84-86.
13.
Bower J. et al: Advances in diseases of the lymphatics. JAMA181:687, 1962.
14.
Miller T. In: Current Surgical Therapy, ed. by Cameron W.St. Louis, Mosby, 194, p. 463.
15.
DeVita VT et al: Principles and Practice of Oncology. Philadelphia , Lippincott, 1982, pp. 1741-1743.
16.
Ju D., Blakemore A., Stevenson TW: A lymphatic function test. Surg Forum5:607, 1954.
Reichert FL , Howard JM: The regeneration of lymphatics. Arch Surg13:871, 1926.
19.
Hardy JD: Complications in Surgery and their Management, ed 4. Philadelphia, Saunders, 1981, pp. 698-708.
20.
Atkin DR, Minton JP: Complications associated with mastectomy. Surg Clin North Am63:1336-1352, 1983.
21.
Dionigo R., et al: Infections in cancer patients. Surg Clin North Am60:145-159, 1980.
22.
Cook GT, Dulake C.: Hazard of vacu-drain system. Lancet2:1254-1255, 1969.
23.
Say CC, Donegan W.: A biostatistical evaluation of complications from mastectomy. Surg Gynecol Obstet138:370-376, 1984.
24.
Myers MB: Investigation of skin flap necrosis. In: Skin Flaps, ed. by Grabb WC, Meyers MB.Boston, Little Brown , 1975, pp. 3-10.
25.
Jolly PC, Viar W.: Reduction of morbidity after radical mastectomy. Ann Surg47:377-380, 1981.
26.
Haagensen CD: Diseases of the Breast. Philadelphia, Saunders, 1962, pp. 645.
27.
Mustard RL, Murillo C.: Prevention of arm lymphedema following mastectomy. Ann Surg154 (suppl): 282, 1961.
28.
Haagensen CD : Symposium on cancer of the breast: Technique for radical mastectomy. Surg19:100, 1946.
29.
Calnan JS, Kountz SL: Effect of venous obstruction on lymphatics. Br J Surg52:800, 1965.
30.
Pflugg JJ, Calnan JS: The experimental production of chronic lymphedema. Br J Plast Surg24:1, 1971.
31.
Jacobson S. : Studies of the blood circulation in lymphedematous limbs. Scand J Plast Reconstr Surg (suppl) 31, 1967.
32.
MacDonald I. : Resection of axillary vein in radical mastectomy; its relation to mechanism of lymphedema. Cancer1:618, 1948.
33.
Evans JA: Treatment of acute thrombophlebitis of the arm after radical mastectomy. Angiology12:155, 1961.
34.
Smedal MI: The cause and treatment of edema of the arm following radical mastectomy. Surg Gynecol Obstet111:29, 1960.
35.
Veal JR: Pathologic basis for swelling of the arm following radical amputation of the breast. Surg Gynecol Obstet67:752, 1938.
36.
O'Brien B., Das SK, Franklin JD, et al: Effect of lymphangiography on lymphedema. Plast Reconstr Surg68:922-925, 1981.
37.
Piller NB: Lymphedema, macrophages and benzopyrones. Lymphology13:109-119, 1980.
38.
Atkin DR, Minton JP: Complications associated with mastectomy. Surg Clin North Am63:1343, 1983.
39.
Grabois M.: Rehabilitation of the post mastectomy patient with lymphedema. Cancer26:75, 1976.
40.
Sarrazin D., Lê MG, Fontaine MF, et al: Conservative treatment versus mastectomy in T1 or small T2 breast cancer—A randomized clinical trial. In: Breast Cancer—New Surgical and Radiotherapeutic Techniques, ed. by Harris JR, Hellman S, Silen W.Philadelphia, Lippincott, 1983, pp. 101-110.
41.
DeMoss E., et al: Complete axillary lymph node dissection before radiotherapy for primary breast cancer, in Harris JR, et al (eds.): ibid, pp. 163-182.
42.
MontagueED, Paulus DD, Schell SR: Selection and follow up of patients for conservation surgery and irradiation. In: Frontiers in Radiation Therapy and Oncology, ed. by Montague ED, Schell SR, Romsdahl MM. Vol XVII. Basel, Karger, 1982.
43.
Harris JR, Hellman S (eds.): Conservative Management of Breast Cancer . Philadelphia, Lippincott, 1983, pp. 47-52.
44.
Glick JH, et al: Adjuvant chemotherapy in patients undergoing definitive irradiation for primary breast cancer. The University of Pennsylvania experience. In: Harris JR, et al (eds.): op cit, pp. 311-320.
45.
Rose CM, et al: In: Harris JR, et al (eds.): op cit, pp. 155-162.
46.
Smith JA, et al: Carcinoma of the breast. Analysis of total lymph node involvement versus level of metastasis. Cancer39:527-532, 1977.
47.
Fisher B., Walmark N., et al: The accuracy of clinical node staging and of limited axillary dissection as a determinant of histological nodal status in carcinoma of the breast. Surg Gynecol Obstet152:765-772, 1981.
48.
Clark D., Goffinet DR, Martinez A.: Breast lymphedema as a complication of staging axillary dissection in the treatment of breast cancer by irradiation. Int J Oncol Biol Phys6:1417, 1980.
49.
Beadle GF, Harris JR, Silver B., et al: Cosmetic results following primary radiation therapy for early breast cancer. Cancer (in press), personal communication, 1984.
50.
Ganel A., Engel J., Sela M.: Nerve entrapments associated with post mastectomy lymphedema. Cancer44:2254, 1979.
51.
Stone EG, Hugo NE: Lymphedema. Surg Gynecol Obstet135:625-631, 1972.
Fox U., et al: Microsurgical treatment of lymphedema of the limb. Int Surg66:53-56, 1981.
54.
Thompson N. : The surgical treatment of chronic lymphedema of the extremities. Surg Clin North Am47:445-503, 1967.
55.
Larsen NE, Crompton AR: A surgical procedure for post mastectomy edema. Arch Surg106:475-481, 1973.
56.
Goldsmith S. , et al: Omental transportation in the control of lymphedema. JAMA203:1119-1121, 1968 .
57.
Goldsmith HS , Alday ES: Role of the surgeon in the rehabilitation of the breast cancer patient. Cancer28:1672-1675, 1971.
58.
Williamson RC: Post mastectomy edema of the arm treated by omental graft. Proc Roy Soc Med65:726, 1972.
59.
Haimovici H (ed.): Vascular Surgery. Principles and Techniques, ed. 2. Connecticut , Appleton-Century Crofts, 1984, pp. 1076-1079.
60.
Thompson N. : The surgical treatment of chronic lymphedema of the lower limb. Br Med J2:1567, 1962.
61.
Pucket CL: Microlymphatic surgery for lymphedema. Clin Plast Surg10: 133, 1983.
62.
O'Brien BM, Black MJ, Fogdstam F.: Role of microlymphaticovenous surgery in obstructive lymphedema. Clin Plast Surg5:293, 1978.
63.
Peterson LF: Surgical treatment of lymphedema and treatment of lymphangiosarcoma, in Modem Treatment. New York, Hoebner (Div. Harper and Row), 1969 , pp. 413-421.
64.
Schoenberg BS : Multiple primary neoplasms in persons of high risk cancer, in Fraiomeni (ed). New York, Academic Press Inc, 1975 , p. 103.
65.
Fitzpatrick PJ: Lymphangiosarcoma in breast cancer. Am J Surg12:172, 1969.
66.
Donegan WL, Spratt JS: Cancer of the Breast, 2. Philadelphia, Saunders, 1979. pp. 538-539.