Effectiveness of Decongestive Lymphatic Therapy in Patients with Lymphedema Resulting from Breast Cancer Treatment Regardless of Previous Lymphedema Treatment

Decongestive lymphatic therapy (DLT) has gained wide acceptance as an effective treatment for patients with lymphedema resulting from breast cancer treatment. It is unclear whether DLT is effective for patients with lymphedema who have received lymphedema treatment previously. Our purpose was to compare the effectiveness of DLT in patients who had received lymphedema treatment previously with those who had never received treatment. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 98 patients who received outpatient lymphedema therapy for upper extremity lymphedema following surgery. Seventy-two eligible patients with a breast cancer diagnosis and complete medical records were divided into two groups: group 1; previously treated (PT) patients (n = 38, 53%) had previously received lymphedema treatment, while group 2 (no PT, n = 34, 47%) had never received lymphedema treatment. The primary outcome was the percent change in volume in the lymphedematous arm, measured by perometer, after DLT treatment. The two groups did not differ significantly in age, comorbidities, body mass index, and median time from surgery to current treatment, surgical procedure, previous radiation treatment, or history of cellulitis/lymphangitis. DLT significantly reduced arm volume in both groups (group 1, p < 0.001; group 2, p = 0.003). The mean percent volume reduction did not differ significantly between the groups (p = 0.619). This study is the first to show that, DLT reduce limb volume significantly with post-mastectomy lymphedema, regardless of previous lymphedema therapy.