Younger Age as a Risk Factor for Gynecologic Cancer-related Lymphedema: A Systematic Review

Background/aim: Treatment of gynecologic cancers may lead to the development of lower limb lymphedema. As the course of lymphedema is chronic and progressive, early diagnosis plays a significant role in decreasing morbidity. Therefore, risk assessment is of utmost importance. In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of age on lymphedema development after treatment for gynecologic cancers.

Materials and methods: The search of 3 databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane) revealed 7 relevant articles, which reported either odds ratios or hazard ratios as an outcome measure.

Results: A positive relationship between younger age and lower limb lymphedema was shown by 3 articles, while 2 noted increased incidence with older age. The remaining articles reported no significant relationship.

Conclusion: Younger age is a risk factor for gynecologic cancer-related lymphedema. However, as individual studies have not included all types of gynecologic cancers, results may not be generalizable.