Bioimpedance Spectroscopy for Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema Assessment: Clinical Practice Guidelines

With improved breast cancer survivorship, lymphedema of the arm is a growing concern for many patients following treatment. Diagnosis and management of breast cancer related lymphedema (BCRL) is often delayed due to low sensitivity diagnostic techniques and a failure to incorporate BCRL assessments into standard clinical practice. Bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) is an increasingly utilized diagnostic technique that allows for the subclinical detection of BCRL, prior to clinically evident disease. We provide a summary of the data supporting the early detection and treatment of BCRL, a comparison of BCRL diagnostic modalities and data supporting the utilization of BIS. Finally, clinical practice guidelines will be provided to allow for the incorporation of BIS into the standard management of breast cancer patients prior to and following locoregional and systemic therapy. These clinical practice guidelines offer clinicians a method to introduce bioimpedance into routine breast cancer care. With increasing focus on BCRL, such protocols will allow for prospective evaluation of patients and early diagnosis and treatment.     

A Randomized Prospective Trial of Supine MRI-Guided Versus Wire-Localized Lumpectomy for Breast Cancer

Annals of Surgical Oncology - Wire-localized excision of non-palpable breast cancer is imprecise, resulting in positive margins 15–35% of the time. Women with a confirmed diagnosis of...     

Surgical Prevention of Arm Lymphedema After Breast Cancer Treatment

Purpose  

To prospectively assess the efficacy of the lymphatic microsurgical preventive healing approach (LYMPHA) to prevent lymphedema after axillary dissection (AD) for breast cancer treatment.     

Prevention and Management of Lymphedema after Breast Cancer Treatment

Lymphedema of the arm after breast cancer treatment continues to challenge clinicians worldwide. In this review, we examine the main modalities, both nonsurgical and surgical, to prevent and treat this as yet incurable condition.     

Identification and Preservation of Arm Lymphatic System in Axillary Dissection for Breast Cancer to Reduce Arm Lymphedema Events: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Annals of Surgical Oncology - Controversy in axillary reverse mapping in axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) possibly results from incomplete recognition of the arm lymphatic system (ALS) and its...     

Laparoscopic-Assisted Versus Open Abdominoperineal Resection for Low Rectal Cancer: A Prospective Randomized Trial

Background  Laparoscopic resection of colonic cancer has been shown to improve postoperative recovery without jeopardizing tumor clearance and survival, but information on low rectal cancer is scarce. The aim of this randomized trial was to compare postoperative recovery between laparoscopic-assisted versus open abdominoperineal resection (APR) in patients with low rectal cancer. Recurrence and survival data were also recorded and compared between the two groups. Methods  Between September 1994 and February 2005, 99 patients with low rectal cancer were randomized to receive either laparoscopic-assisted (51 patients) or conventional open (48 patients) APR. The median follow-up time of living patients was about 90 months for both groups. The primary and secondary endpoints of the study were postoperative recovery and survival, respectively. Data were analyzed by intention-to-treat principle. Results  The demographic data of the two groups were comparable. Postoperative recovery was better after laparoscopic surgery, with earlier return of bowel function (P < .001) and mobilization (P = .005), and less analgesic requirement (P = .007). This was at the expense of longer operative time and higher direct cost. There were no differences in morbidity and operative mortality rates between the two groups. After curative resection, the probabilities of survival at 5 years of the laparoscopic-assisted and open groups were 75.2% and 76.5% respectively (P = .20). The respective probabilities of being disease-free were 78.1% and 73.6% (P = .55). Conclusions  Laparoscopic-assisted APR improves postoperative recovery and seemingly does not jeopardize survival when compared with open surgery for low rectal cancer. A larger sample size is needed to fully assess oncological outcomes. Part of this paper has been presented as free paper in the Congress of Endoscopic and Laparoscopic Surgeons of Asia 2006, October 18–21, 2006, Seoul, Korea. An erratum to this article can be found at     

手法淋巴引流治疗乳腺癌术后上肢淋巴水肿

目的 探讨运用手法淋巴引流(Manual Lymph Drainage,MLD)治疗乳腺癌术后上肢淋巴水肿的疗效。方法2008年至2012年,101例乳腺癌术后上肢淋巴水肿患者按治疗前患肢与健肢的周径(d)差值分3组:A组(d5 cm)。3组患者均进行1个疗程(15 d)的淋巴水肿综合消肿治疗(Complex Decongestive Therapy,CDT):手法淋巴引流+低弹性绷带包扎。通过检测引流前后健患侧的组织水分和肢体周径,计算水分比率与周径比率,同时调查患者对手法引流及绷带使用情况的主观感受,以观察并评价患者对治疗的适应性和接受度。组织水分采用多频生物电阻人体成分分析仪进行检测。结果 101例患者经CDT治疗后,患肢组织水分和肢体周径均呈显著下降(PB组>A组(P<0.01),即治疗效果与水肿严重程度成正比。几乎所有患者对治疗方法及效果表示满意。结论 CDT能有效促进乳腺癌术后上肢淋巴水肿的淋巴回流,减轻患肢水肿,改善患肢外形,帮助功能恢复,并且该治疗对水肿程度较重的患者疗效尤其显著。     

Cryoablation Without Excision for Low-Risk Early-Stage Breast Cancer: 3-Year Interim Analysis of Ipsilateral Breast Tumor Recurrence in the ICE3 Trial

Annals of Surgical Oncology - The ICE3 trial is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of breast cryoablation, enabling women older than 60 years with low-risk early-stage breast cancers to...     

Risk Factors for Complications Following Breast Reduction: Results from a Randomized Control Trial

Reduction mammoplasty has been shown to benefit physical, physiological, and psycho‐social health. However, there are some recognized complications. It would be beneficial if one could identify and modify the factors which increase the rate of complications. To determine the effects of resection weight, BMI, age, and smoking on complication rates following reduction mammoplasty. Data were gathered as a part of randomized control trial (RCT) examining psycho‐social & QOL benefits of reduction mammoplasty. Sixty‐seven consecutive female patients referred to either the Hull Breast Unit or Hull Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Unit and underwent Inferior pedicle reduction mammoplasty were recruited. Complications were recorded prospectively. Data gathered included resection weight, BMI, age, and smoking status. Smoking status was categorized into current; ex; and never. Prospective records of all complications were noted. SPSS was used for purposes of statistical analysis. Of the 67 patients, 16 (23.9%) had complications. Higher resection weight, increased BMI, and older age are associated with high rate of complications with significance reaching p‐values of p < 0.001, p = 0.034, and p = 0.004, respectively. Among the 67 women who had surgery, nine (13.4%) were current smokers, 20 (29.9%) were ex‐smokers, and 38 (56.7%) never smoked. The incidence of complications was highest among current smokers and lowest among those who had never smoked. When comparing the current smokers with those who are not currently smoking, there is a 37% difference in the occurrence of complication. The chi‐squared test shows that this is a significant difference (p < 0.01) at the 99% confidence interval. Higher resection weight, increased BMI, older age, and smoking are risk factors for complications. Patients should be adequately counseled about losing weight and stopping smoking.