Early Detection of Lymphedema After Cancer Treatments

Many clinical situations in oncologic surgery imply the need to dissect more or less extensively lymph node stations which are in direct relation with the lymphatic drainage of the anatomical region affected by cancer.

The dissected lymph nodes drain generally several regions, and their dissection reduces then the drainage capacity of all these regions, increasing the risk for the patient to develop a secondary lymphedema, shorter or longer after surgery.

The recent meta-analysis show that nearly 15% of patient operated for a cancer with lymph node dissection develop after 27 months from surgery a lymphedema of the limb corresponding to the operated region.

Radio- and chemotherapy may especially encumber the already reduced lymphatic capacity.

The impact on the health and the quality of life of the patient is very significant on the physical and psychological aspect, but also on social and economic aspect.

Efficient treatments exist, but are difficult to implement and to continue for a long time. They are considered as serious diseases which are expensive for the INAMI. Lymphedema is a chronic disease which needs repeated and continued treatments. The later the treatment of the lymphedema begins, the heavier it is, both on the medical and socio-economic level. Some patients even lose their job because of their functional infirmity.

Here the investigators remind that lymphedema is painless, even in its most spectacular cases.

Still currently, a lymphedema is diagnosed after it has developed, and only when the functional discomfort, or the physical appearance disturb the patient enough to go to consultation.

The lymphofluoroscopy (new emerging imaging technique in the field of lymphology) used since 3 years by the promoters of the present project, shows that some oncologic patients, operated and free of apparent secondary lymphedema, present abnormalities of the lymphatic network. These patients report heaviness sensations or sporadic paraesthesia which generally does not arouse suspicion of beginning lymphedema.

The present prospective, multidisciplinary and multicentric clinical study aims to confirm that it is now possible to detect secondary lymphedema at a subclinical stage. In a second step, prevention will be considered. Detection may be performed using a simple lymphofluoroscopic examination, which is a minimally invasive and inexpensive imaging technique. It allows to realize a mapping of the superficial lymphatic network and to identify the characteristics of the secondary lymphedema in the group of patients at risk to develop lymphedema after lymph node dissection.