Common Myths About Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema

Common Myths About Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema. 
People who have underwent lymph node removal surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation treatment after breast cancer have a one in five chance of developing lymphedema.  There are many misconceptions after being diagnosed with lymphedema after breast cancer.  40% of women diagnosed with breast cancer will experience breast cancer related lymphedema.  There is many outdated misinformation about treatment options, symptoms, and living a good quality of life.
Debunking The Myths
Myth #1: There is nothing you can do after a diagnosis of breast cancer related lymphedema as there are no treatment options.
This myth is untrue.  Although there is no cure for breast cancer related lymphedema, there are
many treatment options.  One treatment option is manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) treatment for people with breast cancer related lymphedema.  Studies have conducted research comparing and adding MLD to compression bandaging. The study concluded that MLD is safe and made significant improvement in swelling when added to compression bandaging in women with mild-to-moderate symptoms of lymphedema.  According to this study, people with mild-to-moderate symptoms benefit from MLD.  MLD is a beneficial way for people with breast-cancer related lymphedema to mange their symptoms and improve their quality of life.

Another treatment is called complete decongestive therapy (CDT).  Studies have found significant improvement in arm function, swelling, and ADL performance of patients being treated with CDT, thus increasing their quality of life.  CDT involves skin care, manual lymphatic drainage, bandages and compression, patient education, and exercise to increased range of motion in affected upper extremity.  Patients in phase one of lymphedema have the most improvement, noting that getting treatment early is key in managing breast cancer related lymphedema.  You may have this done my a certified lymphedema specialist.

 

Myth #2: There is no quality of life as breast cancer related lymphedema is unmanageable.

Women with breast cancer related lymphedema can manage symptoms and take control of their lives.  This video shows Annie Race who has been suffering from breast cancer-related lymphedema since the 90´s.  She has been dealing with lymphedema for 23 years and she, as as well as doctors, give advice on how to manage lymphedema, such as compression garments and therapy throughout the week.  She started to manage her symptoms early on which helped her increase her decrease her symptoms increasing her quality of life.

Myth #3: Breast cancer related lymphedema would not improve with compression garments.

False: Compression garments are an important part of lymphedema self care, especially in patients with mild-to-moderate lymphedema.  Well-fitted compression garments that are replaced every three to six months will effectively prevent lymphedema progression.  A study was conducted research comparing compression bandaging to manual lymphatic drainage.  The study concluded that a combination of using compression bandages and manual lymphatic drainage for treatment was safe and had significant results when combining the treatments.  This helped reduce swelling in women with mild-to-moderate symptoms of lymphedema.  Results from the study indicate facts and provides evidence that compression bandages can improve a patient’s quality of life.

 

Before and after compression garments:

With many myths and misinformation about breast cancer related lymphedema, it is important to do research and learn about the benefits of treatments and that it is possible to live with and manage lymphedema.  This knowledge will allow you live your best quality of life with the least amount of symptoms. 

Ezzo, J., Manheimer, E., McNeely, M. L., Howell, D. M., Weiss, R., Johansson, K. I., Bao, T., Bily, L., Tuppo, C. M., Williams, A. F., Karadibak, D., & Ezzo, J. (n.d.). Manual lymphatic drainage for lymphedema following breast cancer treatment. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 5. 

Kostanoglu, A., & Tarakcı, E. (2021).  Physical therapy enhances functions and quality of life in older patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema: A prospective experimental study. Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice, 24(3) 387–392.

Sun, Y., & Armer, J. M. (2019). A nurse’s twenty-four-year journey with breast cancer-related lymphedema. Work,  63(1), 21–31.  https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-192904

 

2 thoughts on “Common Myths About Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema”

  1. 001377477

    Hello! I found your post to be very educational and reading over the myths were interesting. I found it fascinating how compression bandaging in women with mild-to-moderate lymphedema symptoms was found to not only be safe but assisted significantly with reduction in swelling. I also thought your format, visual design, and organization was very eye appealing.

  2. 008014179

    Hi Stephanie!
    I enjoyed your blog post as it provided great information and I learned a lot about the diagnosis and clearly explained the debunked myths about lymphedema. I enjoyed your design layout and felt that the information was accessible and concise. I especially enjoyed the videos as they were good resources for education.

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