Specific risk factors among initial swelling sites of breast cancer-related lymphedema
XIE Na
LI Li
JIA Jie
Abstract：Objective To explore the clinical characteristics and specific risk factors of breast cancer-related lymphedema(BCRL)patients with different initial swelling sites(chest wall,upper arm,forearm and hand).
Methods A total of 130 BCRL inpatients in Jing'an District Centre Hospital of Shanghai from December,2015 to March,2024 were reviewed.The patients were grouped by initial swelling sites;baseline characteristics,treatment meth-ods,edema indicators and upper limb dysfunction were compared among groups.
Results The sample size of the chest wall group was too small(n=2),so it was excluded from the statistical analysis.There was no significant difference in baseline characteristics,treatment methods,edema indicators or the upper limb dysfunction among the other three groups.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that:age(OR=1.059,P=0.013)and edema onset time(OR=0.984,P=0.011)were the independent related factors for initial swelling in the upper arm,edema onset time(OR=1.014,P=0.011)was the independent risk factor for initial swelling in the forearm,and limitation of shoulder motion(OR=0.125,P=0.044)was the independent protec-tive factor for initial swelling in the hand.
Conclusion Age,edema onset time and shoulder joint function of BCRL patients may affect the initial sites of swelling.The initial sites of swelling may indicate different etiologies of edema.
Keywords：breast cancerlymphedemaswelling sitesrisk factors
Publication Date：2025-10-25
Online Publishing Date：2025-11-19(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：7( 1234-1240 )