Systemic analysis on risk factors for breast cancer related lymphedema.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate risk factors for upper extremity lymphedema due to breast cancer surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical studies published on PubMed, Ovid, EMbase, and Cochrane Library from January 1996 to December 2012 were selected. RESULTS: Twenty-five studies were identified, including 12,104 patients. Six risk factors related to the incidence of lymphedema after breast cancer treatment were detected: axillary lymph node dissection (OR=3.73, 95%CI 1.16 to 11.96), postoperative complications (OR=2.64, 95%CI 1.10 to 6.30), hypertension (OR=1.83, 95%CI 1.38 to 2.42), high body mass index (OR=1.80, 95%CI 1.30 to 2.49), chemotherapy (OR=1.38, 95%CI 1.07 to 1.79) and radiotherapy (OR=1.35, 95%CI 1.10 to 1.66). We found significant protective factors for lymphedema: pathologic T classification (OR=0.57, 95%CI 0.36 to 0.91) and stage (OR=0.60, 95%CI 0.39 to 0.93), while some factors, like age, number of positive lymph nodes, number of lymph node dissection, demonstrated no obvious correlation. CONCLUSIONS: Axillary lymph node dissection, postoperative complications, hypertension, body mass index, chemotherapy, radiotherapy are risk factors for lymphedema after breast cancer treatment. Attention should be paid to patients with risk factors to prevent the occurrence of lymphedema.

[Study on the activity against influenza A virus with traditional Chinese medicine Kanggan granules].

OBJECTIVE: To study the anti-influenza A virus effects of traditional Chinese medicine Kanggan granules in chicken embryo and BALB/c mice. METHODS: The influenza A virus (H(1)N(1), FM1) was used in the experiments. FM1 was cultured in chicken embryo and the anti-FM1 activity of Kanggan granules was evaluated through the post-medication hemagglutination titer of FM1. In animal test, 120 healthy BALB/c mice were randomly divided into six groups, normal control, virus control, ribavirin, high-dosage, middle-dosage and low-dosage. The FM1 infection model was established by dripping FM1 into nasal cavity and then the appropriate treatments were prescribed. The effective anti- FM1 indices of Kanggan granules included survival status, protective percentage of death and life elongation percentage of mice infected with FM1. RESULTS: The high and middle doses of Kanggan granules could inhibit the replication of FM1 remarkably in chicken embryo, and could reduced hemagglutination titer to 5 and 3 times. In animal experiments, all mice treated with Kanggan granules could improve the general status of infected mice, the protective percentages of death were 35.0% to 55.0%, the life elongation percentages were 73.0% to 88.9% and the minimal effective dose was 3.00 g/kg. CONCLUSION: Kanggan granules can inhibit the replication of influenza A virus and protect the mice infected with FM1.