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Early Detection Key to Reducing Lymphedema
By Marilynn Larkin
Although about 15 to 20 percent of breast cancer patients are affected by lymphedema, there are no standard guidelines for preventing, stopping or managing the debilitating condition. However, a review of the literature on the care and management of lymphedema suggests that early identification of at-risk patients could decrease the incidence of the disorder, says Mattie Sennett McDowell, RN, BSN, a research nurse in breast medical oncology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
At the Oncology Nursing Society’s annual meeting in May, she reported that nurses should discuss every risk-reduction strategy listed in the National Lymphedema Network (NLN)’s online guide “18 Steps to Prevention Revised” at every patient visit. Nurses should also educate patients, provide arm measurements if authorized by their institutions and be familiar with the diagnostic techniques that doctors use to identify lymphedema.
The NLN’s “18 Steps” can be found at the “Risk Reduction” link under the “Lymphedema FAQs” tab on LymphNet.org.
