Hi All,
I hope life has kept you well. I had a few questions re: Lymphedema and I couldn't find too much on it, so I thought I would start by asking a few questions.
Background: my aunt, who underwent radiation and had a mastectomy 7 yrs ago, after being diagnosed with Stage III Breast Cancer, has now developed lymphedema in her arm over this last year. It's considered grade 2 (for now) lymphedema. But her left arm is essentially out of commission as a result. She can no longer cook and the doctors tell her it's irreversible.
Q. Is there anything besides the compression bandages and garments that one can do to better manage the lymphedema in her arm and hand? There's quite a bit of discomfort and pain unfortunately. She does exercise daily and has been taught some exercises to help with it but they're not that effective. She's taking Tylenol 3's and Gabapentin, for that and other complications, although her doctors did encourage her to consider methadone.
Sadly the cancer has now come back with a vengeance and she has undergone more radiation, but it's been about a month since her last radiation session and she's still focused on finding ways to improve the swelling in her arm and hand. She even wants to know if there are things that she should eat (or any medication) that would help decrease the swelling.
Thank you kindly for reading,
M
Reply # - January 8, 2013, 04:51 PM
Reply To: Lymphedema
Has anyone mentioned manual lymph drainage? I'm so sorry to hear of her recurrence. Wishing her all the best. Take care, Judy
Reply # - January 8, 2013, 09:53 PM
Reply To: Lymphedema
Honestly, it's a tough problem that I don't have any real expertise in, because it doesn't tend to be a major issue in the cancers I focus on. But it's not that uncommon in breast cancer.
We have a lymphedema clinic at my center, and I'll try to see if I might be able to get someone who specializes in that problem to go on camera for a few minutes for a video podcast about this issue. Maybe the 5 minute podcast format we've been doing will be a good way to get people to do just 1-2 quick videos on their topic, leaving us with plenty of new content on topics that are otherwise a little outside of our range of expertise.
-Dr. West
Reply # - January 11, 2013, 08:03 AM
Reply To: Lymphedema
Hi tanny, I think I've dropped the ball on your question, I'm sorry for the wait. Let me contact our breast cancer specialist to see if she has any input on lymphedema.
The best to you and your aunt,
Janine
forum moderator
Reply # - January 11, 2013, 10:41 AM
Reply To: Lymphedema
Thanks Judy, Dr West, and Janine - Janine no need to apologize. The more I research into it, the more I realize it's a tough one for many breast cancer survivors and patients to deal with. No simple solution this late into things.
Judy, thanks for suggesting manual lymph drainage, I know she's seeing a physio for various exercises and her husband has been taught some simple massage techniques, but I'll see just how often they're doing those.
Thanks again all.
Reply # - January 11, 2013, 09:27 PM
Reply To: Lymphedema
Unfortunately, as many have expressed above, we lack a good solution for lymphedema. In general, medications don't work. The best advice I can offer is for you to see a lymphedema specialist who can advise you in strategies, usually involving compression or methods to encourage drainage, to reduce the swelling and discomfort. I wish you the very best.
Dr Cianfrocca
Reply # - January 18, 2013, 11:23 AM
Reply To: Lymphedema
Thank you Dr. Cianfrocca, and everyone, we'll look further into that.