Risk factors for lymphedema after breast surgery: A prospective cohort study in the era of sentinel lymph node biopsy.

INTRODUCTION: The Objective was to investigate the incidence of lymphedema after breast cancer treatment and to analyze the risk factors involved in a tertiary level hospital. METHODS: Prospective longitudinal observational study over 3 years post-breast surgery. 232 patients undergoing surgery for breast cancer at our institution between September 2013 and February 2018. Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) or axillary lymphadenectomy (ALND) were mandatory in this cohort. In total, 201 patients met the inclusion criteria and had a median follow-up of 31 months (range, 1-54 months). Lymphedema was diagnosed by circumferential measurements and truncated cone calculations. Patients and tumor characteristics, shoulder range of motion limitation and local and systemic therapies were analyzed as possible risk factors for lymphedema. RESULTS: Most cases of lymphedema appeared in the first 2 years. 13.9% of patients developed lymphedema: 31% after ALND and 4.6% after SLNB (p < 0.01), and 46.7% after mastectomy and 11.3% after breast-conserving surgery (p < 0.01). The lymphedema rate increased when axillary radiotherapy (RT) was added to radical surgery: 4.3% for SLNB alone, 6.7% for SLNB + RT, 17.6% for ALND alone, and 35.2% for ALND + RT (p < 0.01). In the multivariate analysis, the only risk factors associated with the development of lymphedema were ALND and mastectomy, which had hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of 7.28 (2.92-18.16) and 3.9 (1.60-9.49) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The main risk factors for lymphedema were the more radical surgeries (ALND and mastectomy). The risk associated with these procedures appeared to be worsened by the addition of axillary radiotherapy. A follow-up protocol in patients with ALND lasting at least two years, in which special attention is paid to these risk factors, is necessary to guarantee a comprehensive control of lymphedema that provides early detection and treatment.

Scapular winging in surgical treatment of breast cancer, prospective study to optimize the follow-up protocol

Introduction One of the most common complications of the surgical treatment of breast cancer is limited range-of-motion in the shoulder. Scapular winging is one of the most underdiagnosed shoulder mobility impairments. Objective The main objective of this study was to determine the incidence of scapular winging in patients who underwent breast cancer surgery as the basis for expanding the protocol to patients who have had a sentinel lymph node biopsy. The secondary objective was to determine the risk factors that lead to the development of a winged scapula presented after breast cancer treatment in our sample. Methods This was a prospective, observational, and multidisciplinary study. Between 2013 and 2018, 214 consecutive patients who had been diagnosed with breast cancer and treated for it surgically were followed by Rehabilitation Department for 3 years. The patients were evaluated in the 1st, 6th, 12th, 18th, 24th and 36th months following surgery. Scapular winging was evaluated at each visit by means of static and dynamic tests. Results The cumulative incidence of scapular winging was 3.6% and seven cases of winged scapula were diagnosed. All the cases were diagnosed at the first visit, 1 month after the intervention. In the univariate analysis, the axillary lymph node dissection technique was a more significant risk factor for a winged scapula than sentinel lymph node biopsy. Conclusions The axillary lymph node dissection technique is a risk factor for developing a winged scapula. No evidence was found for any other significant risk factor (AU)

Scapular winging in surgical treatment of breast cancer, prospective study to optimize the follow-up protocol.

INTRODUCTION: One of the most common complications of the surgical treatment of breast cancer is limited range-of-motion in the shoulder. Scapular winging is one of the most underdiagnosed shoulder mobility impairments. OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study was to determine the incidence of scapular winging in patients who underwent breast cancer surgery as the basis for expanding the protocol to patients who have had a sentinel lymph node biopsy. The secondary objective was to determine the risk factors that lead to the development of a winged scapula presented after breast cancer treatment in our sample. METHODS: This was a prospective, observational, and multidisciplinary study. Between 2013 and 2018, 214 consecutive patients who had been diagnosed with breast cancer and treated for it surgically were followed by Rehabilitation Department for 3 years. The patients were evaluated in the 1st, 6th, 12th, 18th, 24th and 36th months following surgery. Scapular winging was evaluated at each visit by means of static and dynamic tests. RESULTS: The cumulative incidence of scapular winging was 3.6% and seven cases of winged scapula were diagnosed. All the cases were diagnosed at the first visit, 1 month after the intervention. In the univariate analysis, the axillary lymph node dissection technique was a more significant risk factor for a winged scapula than sentinel lymph node biopsy. CONCLUSIONS: The axillary lymph node dissection technique is a risk factor for developing a winged scapula. No evidence was found for any other significant risk factor.