Best-practice guidelines in assessment, risk reduction, management, and surveillance for post-breast cancer lymphedema

Breast cancer-related lymphedema (LE) is a progressive, chronic disease that affects millions of cancer survivors and primarily results from surgical lymphatic vessel and/or node removal and radiation therapy. Patient support and education in the importance of early detection is essential in helping health care providers detect lymphedema early, when there is the best chance of preventing progression. Improved imaging and surgical techniques have reduced the incidence of LE; however, effective risk-reduction and treatment have historically lacked the level of evidence necessary to standardize effective treatment. The purpose of this article is to report an extensive review of literature, including highlighted multidisciplinary studies within the past 3 years, in order to update best-practice guidelines in assessment, risk reduction, management, and surveillance for post-breast cancer lymphedema. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.