Management of lymphedema is really a matter in patients with breast cancer

Lymphedema is a prevalent complication affecting patients with breast cancer,greatly impacting their quality of life.This editorial describes diagnostic methods and therapeutic interventions for managing lymphedema in patients with breast cancer.Diagnosis relies on clinical evaluation and objective measures,including arm circumference and volumetric assessments,along with lymphoscintigraphy and ultrasonic measurements.Treatment primarily involves complex decongestive physical therapy,comprising manual lymphatic drainage,compression therapy,exercise,and meticulous skin care.These interventions aim to reduce swelling,alleviate discomfort,and prevent further complications.Additionally,lifestyle modifications such as avoiding extreme temperatures and maintaining proper hygiene are essential.Flavonoids can be used for drug therapy.Despite its prevalence,lymphedema often receives inadequate attention in clinical practice,emphasizing the importance of raising awareness and enhancing medical services for affected individuals.Clinicians play a pivotal role in educating patients about preventive measures and ensuring timely intervention.Overall,a comprehensive approach encompassing early diagnosis,multidisciplinary management,and patient education is essential to mitigate the burden of lymphedema in patients with breast cancer and improve their overall well-being.

Tuberous sclerosis complex combined with primary lymphedema:A case report

BACKGROUND Tuberous sclerosis complex(TSC)and primary lymphedema(PLE)are both rare diseases,and it is even rarer for both to occur in the same patient.In this work,we have provided a detailed description of a patient's clinical presentation,imaging findings,and treatment.And a retrospective analysis was conducted on 14 published relevant case reports.CASE SUMMARY A 16-year-old male came to our hospital for treatment due to right lower limb swelling.This swelling is already present from birth.The patient’s memory had been progressively declining.Seizures had occurred 1 year prior at an unknown frequency.The patient was diagnosed with TSC combined with PLE through multimodal imaging examination:Computed tomography,magnetic resonance imaging,and lymphoscintigraphy.The patient underwent liposuction.The swelling of the patient's right lower limb significantly improved after surgery.Epilepsy did not occur.after taking antiepileptic drugs and sirolimus.CONCLUSION TSC with PLE is a rare and systemic disease.Imaging can detect lesions of this disease,which are important for diagnosis and treatment.

Lymphovenous anastomosis and complex decongestive therapy for severe deformed lymphedema with recurrent infection:A case report

BACKGROUND Lower extremity lymphedema is a common complication following treatment for gynecological malignancies.Its incidence rate can reach up to 70%,affecting~20 million people worldwide.However,specialized treatment centers are scarce,and there is a lack of consensus on treatment approaches.Furthermore,there are even fewer reports on the systematic and effective treatment of severe lymphedema with malformations.Effective management of this condition remains a significant challenge for clinicians.CASE SUMMARY A 40-year-old woman developed bilateral leg swelling 6 years after receiving treatment for endometrial cancer.Since August 2018,she experienced>30 episodes of lymphangitis.Upon presentation,she exhibited bilateral leg swelling and deformation,with four large swellings in the posterior thigh that impeded movement,and pain in the limbs.Skin manifestations included lichenoid lesions and features of deep sclerosis.Radionuclide lymphoscintigraphy confirmed the diagnosis of lower limb lymphedema.After 6 mo of complex decongestive therapy(CDT)and three lymphaticovenous anastomosis(LVA)treatments,the patient lost 49 kg in weight.She also experienced a maximum circumference reduction of 35.2 cm in the left lower limb and 37.5 cm in the right lower limb.The leg pain disappeared,her swelling significantly decreased,and she regained the ability to walk,cycle,and run normally.CONCLUSION The combined application of CDT and LVA therapy demonstrates significant positive effects in the treatment of severe,deformed stage III lymphedema.

Vascularized lymph node transfer using axilla as recipient site restores lymphatic flow in upper limb lymphedema:Evidence from magnetic resonance lymphangiography

Background:Lymphedema is a debilitating condition that frequently occurs after breast cancer treatment.Vas-cularized lymph node transfer(VLNT)is a promising approach to reduce lymphedema.This study used magnetic resonance lymphangiography(MRL)to assess lymphatic reconnections post-VLNT in patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema(BCRL).Methods:The clinical records of six female patients with unilateral upper limb BCRL who underwent VLNT(4 cases)or VLNT combined with breast reconstruction(2 cases)were retrospectively reviewed.All patients were examined using MRL preoperatively and at the 1-year follow-up.The morphological characteristics of the lymphatic network,dermal backflow patterns,and architecture of the lymph nodes were evaluated.Clinical outcomes,patient satisfaction,and complications were assessed.Results:At the 1-year follow-up,reduction in tissue edema and limb circumference was achieved in all six patients.In MRL,the implanted lymph nodes in the axillary region of the affected upper arm were enhanced and visualized in all six patients.Reconnected lymphatic vessels in the subcutaneous tissue associated with the implanted lymph nodes were observed in four patients.Decreased dermal backflow and lymphatic vessel dilation of the affected limbs were observed in all six patients.No disruption of the lymph flow in the donor area was detected.Conclusion:This is the first study to provide direct imaging evidence for the reconnection of afferent lymphatic channels between implanted lymph nodes and the recipient lymphatic system in patients with BCRL.Overall,our study demonstrates the mechanism and efficacy of VLNT in reducing lymphedema.

Effects of Alexithymia to Stigma of Patients with Lymphedema

BACKGROUND: Secondary lymphedema is one of the common complications after malignant tumor surgery. It is a chronic and complex disease. Once lymphedema occurs, there will be discomfort such as limb swelling, pain, numbness and tension, which will eventually lead to changes in the appearance of the affected limb and will seriously affect the quality of life and require lifelong treatment and psychosocial support. This study investigated the current situation of stigma and alexithymia in patients with lymphedema, and discussed the impact of alexithymia on stigma in patients with lymphedema. AIMS: To understand the current situation of stigma and alexithymia in patients with lymphedema, and to analyze the influence of alexithymia on stigma. METHODS: 195 patients with lymphedema in a hospital were selected by convenient sampling. General information questionnaire, Toronto Alexithymia Scale and social impact scale were used to investigate respectively, to study the general situation, stigma and alexithymia of the respondents. RESULTS: The results showed that the total score of stigma in 195 patients with lymphedema was (60.36 ± 11.08), and the total score of alexithymia was (56.53 ± 8.43). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that alexithymia and family relationship were the influencing factors of stigma in patients with lymphedema. CONCLUSIONS: The patients with lymphedema have obvious stigma, and alexithymia and family relationship are the influencing factors.

Preprocessing and Efficacy Analysis of Comprehensive Anti-Inflammatory Treatment for Lymphedema in Patients with Irritating Contact Dermatitis

Objective: To explore the pre-treatment and efficacy analysis of comprehensive anti-inflammatory treatment for lymphedema in patients with irritating contact dermatitis. Method: Convenience sampling method was used to observe the skin of 160 patients with upper limb lymphedema admitted to the lymphedema outpatient department of our hospital. They were divided into an observation group (80 cases) and a control group (80 cases), and both groups received a course of comprehensive anti-inflammatory treatment (20 treatments). The control group received routine skin care;On the basis of the control group, the observation group received pre-treatment of the affected limb skin: Laofuzi herbal ointment was applied externally to the prone areas of irritating contact dermatitis (such as the upper arm, inner forearm, and cubital fossa). Result: The incidence of irritating contact dermatitis in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P 0.05). Patients in the observation group felt significantly better in terms of comfort, skin moisture, and itching relief after being wrapped with low elasticity bandages than those in the control group (P Conclusion: Preventive treatment can effectively reduce the incidence of irritating contact dermatitis, prolong the time of stress treatment, thereby increasing efficacy and improving patient compliance.

The Risk Factors of Lymphedema in Breast Cancer Patients Post Axillary Clearance

Introduction: Breast cancer is the number one malignancy affecting females in Saudi Arabia with a prevalence of 22.4%. Breast cancer incidence increases annually due to the aid of established screening programs, leading to the discovery of breast cancer in its early stages. Surgical treatment is an integral part of early breast cancer management to achieve local control. Axillary surgical interventions such sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) and axillary lymph node clearance (ALND) aim to stage the axilla as an adjunct to the management of the primary breast tumor. In this paper, we reviewed female breast cancer patients aged 30 - 60 who underwent surgical treatment of SLNB and/or ALND with reporting the prevalence of lymphedema and other associated complications and risk factors. Methodology: A cross-sectional non-interventional study, with a sample size of 250 including breast cancer cases from 2016 to 2019 at National Guard Hospital (NGH) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Results: A total of 253 breast cancer cases were included in this study, with a mean age of 53 years, 52.7% were postmenopausal and positive family history was present among 21% of cases. Further, 90.9% of the cases had unilateral disease. Staging was as follows: stage I 14.5%, stage II 45.2%, stage III 37.1%, and stage IV 3.2%. Mastectomy was done in 73.4% cases and lumpectomy was performed in 34.1% of cases. In addition, 93.3% of patients had SLNB and 49% of them were positive. Axillary dissection was performed in 69.6% of our patients. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy were given to 71.8% and 80.4% of cases respectively. Among the chemotherapy (chemo) recipients, 40.2% received adjuvant chemo, 54.5% received neoadjuvant chemo, and the remaining 5.3% received both. Further, the most prevalent complication was pain accounting for 42.1% of total complications, and the least prevalent was cellulitis 4%. Also, seroma developed in 18.3% cases, paresthesia noted in 5.6% of cases, winged scapula was reported as 2%, weakness and necrosis were seen in 6% and 13.1% of cases respectively. Axillary vein thrombosis and lymphangiosarcoma were reported in none of the patients (0%). Lymphoedema accounted for 16.1% of overall complications, 85% of the patients who developed lymphedema had undergone ALND, and 12.9% and 14.4% received radiotherapy and chemotherapy respectively. Lymphedema was observed in breast cancer stages as follows: stage I 1.2%, stage II 7.2%, and stage III 5.2%. Patients with body mass index (BMI) of 30 - 39 kg/m2 had 7.2% prevalence of lymphedema compared to other BMI groups. Overall mortality was 8.3%. Conclusion: The findings of our study suggest that the prevalence of lymphedema was higher in ALND patients with locally advanced tumors, and higher BMI, compared to patients with stage I breast cancer and low BMI. Further, the prevalence of lymphedema in patients who underwent ALND was significantly lower than those who were treated by lumpectomy 10.3% (p-value = 0.034) in comparison to mastectomy 19.3%.

Breast cancer-related lymphedema:A literature review for clinical practice

Lymphedema is the swelling of soft tissues as a result of the accumulation of protein-rich fluid in extracellular spaces.Secondary lymphedema is precipitated by an event causing blockage or interruption of the lymphatic vessels.Secondary lymphedema is a potential complication that may affect the quality of life of patients treated for breast cancer.Lifelong risk factors of post-breast cancer lymphedema are related to the extent of axillary node involvement,type of breast surgery,and radiation therapy.These factors decrease lymphatic drainage and increase stasis of fluids in the areas of skin and subcutaneous tissues that drain to regional lymph nodes.Breast cancer-related lymphedema can involve the arm and hand,as well as the breast and trunk on the operative side.Clinical symptom assessment and circumferential measures are widely used to evaluate lymphedema.Treatment of lymphedema associated with breast cancer can include combined modality approaches,compression therapy,therapeutic exercises,and pharmacotherapy.

Identification of a Novel VEGFR-3 Missense Mutation in a Chinese Family with Hereditary Lymphedema Type I

A novel mutation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor gene （VEGFR-3）, was identified in a four-generation Chinese family with hereditary lymphedema type I （HL-I）. Genetic linkage analysis was performed on the known genetic locus for HL-I with a panel of polymorphic markers, and then mutations were screened out by direct sequencing. By genotyping, the family showed the linkage to HL-I locus on 5q35.3. Mutation screening analysis of the exons encoding the intracellular kinase domains of VEGFR-3, revealed a novel missense mutation D1055V. This mutation cosegregated with the disease phenotype in the family and was not found in 100 normal controls. This finding has expanded the spectrum of the VEGFR-3 gene mutations causing HL-I, and will be useful for further genetic consultation and genetic diagnosis.

Breast cancer-related lymphedema: Symptoms, diagnosis, risk reduction, and management

The global burden of breast cancer continues to increase largely because of the aging and growth of the world population. More than 1.38 million women worldwide were estimated to be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, accounting for 23% of all diagnosed cancers in women. Given that the 5-year survival rate for breast cancer is now 90%, experiencing breast cancer is ultimately about quality of life. Women treated for breast cancer are facing a life-time risk of developing lymphedema, a chronic condition that occurs in up to 40% of this population and negatively affects breast cancer survivors' quality of life. This review offers an insightful understanding of the condition by providing clinically relevant and evidence based knowledge regarding lymphedema symptoms, diagnosis, risk reduction, and management with the intent to inform health care professionals so that they might be better equipped to care for patients.

Effects of weight-lifting or resistance exercise on breast cancer-related lymphedema:A systematic review

The purpose of this systematic review was to identify the effects of weight-lifting or resistance exercise on breast cancer-related lymphedema.Published articles written in English were retrieved from electronic databases,including ScienceDirect,PubMed,Scopus,and CINAHL databases.Hand-searches for unpublished papers were also completed.Content analysis was used to examine articles that met the inclusion criteria.Among 525 searched papers,15 papers met the inclusion criteria:13 trials evaluated weight-lifting or resistance exercise alone and two trials evaluated weight-lifting or resistance exercise plus aerobic exercise.The results of the review showed that no arm volume change was observed for either exercise modality.In addition,six included studies showed that weight-lifting or resistance exercise did not cause lymphedema or adverse events in patients at risk of breast cancer-related lymphedema.For patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema,six studies reported that change of swelling outcome measures were not significantly different between the weight-lifting or resistance exercise group and the control group.However,three included studies reported that volume of arm was significantly more reduced in the weight-lifting or resistance exercise group than those in the control group.The findings suggest that supervised resistance exercise may be safe,feasible,and beneficial in patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema or at risk for breast cancer-related lymphedema.However,the limitation of small sample size implies that further research is needed to confirm these findings.

Application and prospect of adipose stem cell transplantation in treating lymphedema

BACKGROUND Lymphedema is a chronic,debilitating and incurable disease that affects 0.13%-2%of the global population.Emerging evidence indicates that adipose-derived stem cells(ADSCs)might serve as suitable seed cells for lymphatic tissue engineering and lymphedema therapy.AIM To summarize applications of ADSCs for treating lymphedema in both animal studies and clinical trials.METHODS A systematic search was performed on four databases-PubMed,Clinicaltrials.gov,the evidence-based Cochrane Library,and OVID-using the following search string:(“lymphedema”or“lymphoedema”or“lymphangiogenesis”)and(“adipose-derived stem cells”or“adipose-derived stromal cells”or“adipose-derived regenerative cells”).A manual search was performed by skimming the references of relevant studies.Animal studies and clinical trials using adipose-derived cells for the treatment of any kind of lymphedema were included.RESULTS A total of eight research articles published before November 2019 were included for this analysis.Five articles focused on animal studies and another three focused on clinical trials.ADSC transplantation therapy was demonstrated to be effective against lymphedema in all studies.The animal studies found that coadministration of ADSCs and controlled-release vascular endothelial growth factor-C or platelet-rich plasma could improve the effectiveness of ADSC therapy.Three sequential clinical trials were conducted on breast cancer-related lymphedema patients,and all showed favorable results.CONCLUSION ADSC-based therapy is a promising option for treating lymphedema.Large-scale,multicenter randomized controlled trials are needed to develop more effective and durable therapeutic strategies.

A scoring system for predicting the risk of breast cancer-related lymphedema

Objective:We aimed to establish a scoring system to predict the risk of breast cancer-related lymphedema.Methods:From April 2017 to December 2018,533 patients who previously underwent surgery for breast cancer were enrolled in this cross-sectional study.Univariate analysis was performed to explore and define the risk factors.A scoring system was then established on the basis of odds ratio values in the regression analysis.Results:The additive scoring system values ranged from 6 to 22.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve of this scoring system showed a sensitivity and specificity of 83.3%and 57.3%,respectively,to predict the risk of lymphedema at a cut-off of 15.5 points;the area under the curve was 0.736(95%confidence interval:0.662-0.811),with x2=5.134(P=0274)for the Hosmer-Lemeshow test.Conclusions:The predictive efficiency and accuracy of the scoring system were acceptable,and the system could be used to predict and screen groups at high risk for breast cancer-related lymphedema.

Adipose-derived stem cell therapy shows promising results for secondary lymphedema

Lymphedema is mainly identified by progressive soft tissue swelling in impaired lymphatic system.Secondary lymphedema attributed to cancer therapy,parasite infection,and trauma remains a serious global disease.Patients with lymphedema suffer swelling,pain,and fatigue,with the dysfunction of the deformed extremities reducing the quality of life and increasing the risk of infection and lymphangiosarcoma.Adipose-derived stem cells(ADSCs)possess prominent regenerative potential to differentiate into multilineage cells,and produce various lymphangiogenic factors,making ADSC therapy a promising approach for lymphedema.The development of lymphedema consists of local inflammation,the fibrosis of lymphatic vessels,and the deposition of adipose fat.Existing animal models do not mimic the chronic inflammation environment,therefore suitable models are required in further studies.Some signal pathways and molecular mechanisms in physiological and pathological lymphagiogenesis remain unclear.In previous animal and human trials,ADSC therapy reduced edema in varying degrees.A larger number of trials with larger samples and longer follow-up periods are required to verify the efficiency and feasibility of ADSC therapy.ADSCs are of easy availability and immune exemption,making them a candidate for lymphedema treatment.Whether ADSCs enhance malignant characteristics or trigger the malignant change deserves further exploration and study before ADSC therapy can be made widely available.

Reliability and Validity of the Chinese Version of the Lymphedema Quality of Life Questionnaire

Objective To study the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Lymphedema Quality of Life Questionnaire(LYMQOL)in lymphedema patients.Methods LYMQOL was translated into Chinese.The Chinese version of the LYMQOL was distributed with the official Wechat account"Lymphedema Channel"to lymphedema patients who were recruited from October 28^(th),2020 to February 23^(rd),2021.Patients with upper limb lymphedema and lower limb lymphedema completed the LYMQOL-ARM subscale and the LYMQOL-LEG subscale separately,at enrollment,1 week later,and 1 month later.Reliability,validity,feasibility,responsiveness and average time required for completing the questionnaire were assessed.Results A total of 195 patients participated in the study.The Chinese questionnaire showed high reliability with Cronbach’sαcoefficients of 0.849-0.902 for the LYMQOL-ARM and intraclass correlation coefficient(ICC)of 0.848-0.884 and Cronbach’sαcoefficients of 0.726-0.902 for the LYMQOL-LEG and ICC of 0.863-0.900.The LYMQOL showed moderate to good correlations with the EQ-5 D(0.4<r<0.6,P<0.01;for the LYMQOLARM,n=95,for the LYMQOL-LEG,n=102).Responsiveness analysis suggested that quality of life of upper limb lymphedema patients decreased after 1 month(P<0.05).The average time of patients to finish the questionnaire was approximately 12 minutes.Conclusions The Chinese version of the LYMQOL is easy to answer,comprehensive and appropriate in length,and has good reliability and validity.It may be utilized to assist treatment decision-making and track changes in clinical setting or research for lymphedema.

Effectiveness of six-step complex decongestive therapy for treating upper limb lymphedema after breast cancer surgery

BACKGROUND Complex decongestive therapy(CDT)is currently recommended as the standard treatment for lymphedema.CDT is a four-step detumescence therapy that can effectively treat upper limb lymphedema after breast cancer surgery,and is considered non-invasive,painless and without side effects.AIM To determine the effectiveness of a six-step CDT involving a foam granule bandage for the treatment of upper extremity lymphedema pressure after breast cancer surgical intervention.METHODS The study included 100 patients with upper extremity lymphedema after breast cancer surgery.The surgical methods were mastectomy plus axillary lymph node dissection and breast preservation plus sentinel lymph node biopsy.The study population was further divided into the experimental group and control group with 50 cases in each group.The control group was given conventional CDT(four-step method),which included skin care,freehand lymphatic drainage,foam granule pressurized bandage,and functional exercise.In the experimental group,a six-step CDT method was applied that involved a foam particle bandage combined with air wave pressure therapy in addition to the four steps of conventional CDT.Patients in both groups were given one course of treatment daily(20 times),and the changes in body moisture and subjective symptoms were measured before and after treatment,preoperatively and 20 times after treatment.RESULTS No statistically significant differences in 50-Hz bioelectrical impedance and extracellular moisture ratio were observed between the two groups before treatment,suggesting comparability of the baseline data.After treatment,the 50-Hz bioelectrical impedance of the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group,and the extracellular moisture ratio was significantly lower than that in the control group.A comparison of the differences between the two groups before and after treatment indicated that the treatment effect in the experimental group was better than that in the control group.After 20 treatments,according to subjective evaluations,the tightness and swelling of the limbs in the experimental group were significantly reduced as compared with those in the control group.CONCLUSION The six-step CDT method can effectively reduce lymphedema,promote lymphatic circulation,and alleviate the subjective symptoms of patients,and thereby improve the quality of life and treatment compliance among patients.

Sun-burn induced upper limb lymphedema 11 years following breast cancer surgery: A case report

BACKGROUND Upper arm lymphedema is a common complication one year after breast cancer surgery,which profoundly impacts patients'quality of life.CASE SUMMARY We reported a case of lymphedema induced by prolonged sun exposure 11 years after breast cancer surgery.CONCLUSION Breast screening,patient education and follow-up after hospital discharge could help to prevent upper-arm lymphedema.

Bloodletting puncture and cupping as an adjuvant therapy for breast cancer-related lymphedema in female adults: A non-randomized controlled pragmatic trial

Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness of bloodletting puncture and cupping in relieving breast cancer-related lymphedema.Methods:We conducted a non-randomized controlled study at the Galactophore Department of the 3rd Affiliated Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine from March 2013 to December 2014.Seventy-five patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer-related lymphedema were divided into two groups in accordance with the patients' treatment choices:the treatment group (n =50) underwent bloodletting puncture and cupping every 5 days for 15 min/session (one session per day) combined with exercise training once a day for 30 minutes;the control group (n =25) underwent the same exercise training alone.Evaluation indexes were measured before and after treatment;these included arm circumference (at the wrist crease,10 cm distal to the wrist crease,the elbow crease,and 10 cm distal to the elbow crease)and visual analogue scale (VAS) score for pain.The safety of the treatment was also evaluated.Results:The treatment period was 50 days for all 75 patients.At the end of the treatment period,the mean reduction in arm circumference was 1.21 (0.65) cm the treatment group,and 0.58 (0.78) cm in the control group.Compared with the control group,the treatment group had a significantly greater reduction in arm circumference (P =.03) and a significantly lower VAS score for pain (P =.01).No patient in either group experienced any adverse events.Conclusion:Bloodletting puncture and cupping effectively reduces arm circumference and relieves upper limb pain in patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema.Our results provide sufficient basis for exploring cupping as long-term therapy for managing breast cancer-related lymphedema.

Supermicrosurgical lymphoevenous anastomosis for the treatment of peripheral lymphedema:A systematic review of the literature

The effectiveness of supermicrosurgical lymphovenous anastomosis(LVA)for lymphedema treatment remains controversial.Currently,no evidence has been summarized.This study aimed to review the published literature on supermicrosurgical LVAs in the treatment of peripheral lymphedema and to analyze the surgical outcomes.Studies from databases(PubMed/MEDLINE,Cochrane Controlled Trial Data,and Embase)were collected to determine the effectiveness of supermicrosugrical LVAs for lymphedema.A systematic review was performed using individual patient data.Fifteen studies,including 578 patients(482 female,72 male,and 24 unknown)with a mean age of 51 years,satisfied the needs of the study requirements.Supermicrosurgical LVAs for peripheral lymphedema have demonstrated substantial improvements in both objective and subjective findings in many patients.Moreover,in the long-term follow-up,the effectiveness of this treatment modality maintained a high efficacy of LVA in lymphedema cases.However,most studies provided low-quality evidence,and the conclusion is still not finalized.

Concise review on the safety of exercise on symptoms of lymphedema

Lymphedema is an atypical accumulation of high-proteinfluid located just beneath the skin, which often occurs in the arm or leg. Exercising with lymphedema was traditionally considered to be unsafe. However, recent research indicates that exercise may be beneficial to individuals with lymphedema. Studies indicate that exercise can improve the range of motion and strength of the afflicted limb(s), as well as overall fitness and functional quality of life, and can be performed without exacerbating symptoms of lymphedema.