Factors influencing breast cancer-related lymphedema volume after intensive decongestive physiotherapy

Lymphedema treatment is based on an intensive decongestive physiotherapy phase of volume reduction followed by a long-term maintenance phase. Factors influencing the morbid lymphedema volume increase during maintenance were analyzed.

Among 867 consecutive women recruited and followed in a single lymphology unit, 682 were analyzed. The other 185 were not analyzed because of an initial lymphedema volume <250 ml, <20% lymphedema volume decrease during the intensive phase, or they were lost to follow-up. Lymphedema volume was recorded prior to and at the end of intensive phase, and at each follow-up visit. During follow-up, treatment failure was defined as a lymphedema volume increase of ≥50% of the total reduction obtained during the intensive phase.

Median lymphedema volume was 936 ml before and 335 ml after intensive decongestive physiotherapy (P < 0.0001). Median follow-up was 28 months. During the maintenance phase, the risk of treatment failure at 1, 2, and 4 years was estimated to be 38.1%, 53.1%, and 64.8%, respectively. Wearing an elastic sleeve during the day and an overnight multilayer low-stretch bandage (median, four nights per week; interquartile range, 2-6) significantly decreased the risk of treatment failure [hazard ratio, 0.53, (0.34-0.82), P = 0.004], whereas manual lymph drainage adjunction to those therapeutic components did not. The risk of treatment failure was also associated with weight and body mass index at inclusion.

Risk of maintenance-therapy failure after intensive decongestive physiotherapy was associated with patients characteristics (younger age, higher weight, and body mass index), while elastic sleeve and bandage were associated with better maintenance results. Paradoxical effect of manual lymph drainage is likely to be related to indication bias.