Epidemiological Study of the Characteristics of Patients with Lymphedema Following Breast Cancer Referred to the Hospitals of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences

: Lymphedema following breast cancer is a chronic and debilitating complication of cancer treatment and the purpose of this project is to epidemiologically evaluate the characteristics of patients with lymphedema in patients referred to the hospitals of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences following breast cancer. A descriptive epidemiological study of patients with lymphedema following treatment for breast cancer enables researchers at the center to make testable hypotheses about the etiology of lymphedema. This is a cross-sectional descriptive study that was performed with the participation of ۱۴۹ patients during the years ۲۰۱۸ to ۲۰۲۰ in the hospitals of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences and in patients with lymphedema. Information including lymphedema volume, type of treatment, body mass index and demographic information were recorded in the data collection form and finally reported. ۲۴% of the participants were single or widowed and the rest were married. ۴۱% of participants had a body mass index below ۳۰ and the rest had a body mass index above ۳۰. Depending on the type of surgery, ۷۱% of patients underwent Modified Radical Mastectomy and the rest had Conservative surgery for their treatment. ۹۴% of patients received chemotherapy, ۸۳% received radiation therapy and ۷۱% received hormone therapy. In ۷۵% of patients, more than ۱۰ lymphatic groups were removed during surgery, and in the rest, less than ۱۰ lymphatic groups were removed. ۳۶.۹% of patients had a history of lymphangitis attack. The results of this study showed that high body mass index, old age, removal of lymph masses more than ۱۰ and receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy drugs are risk factors for lymphedema.

Keywords:

Lymphedema , Epidemiology , Following Breast Cancer , surgery