Assessment of breast cancer-related arm lymphedema--comparison of physical measurement methods and self-report.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the relationship between physical methods of measuring lymphedema and self-reported swelling, their reliability, and standard error of measurement.


METHODS
Lymphedema in each arm of women with (n = 33) and without (n = 18) unilateral arm lymphedema, secondary to breast cancer was measured by self-report, bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS), perometer, and the truncated cone method.


RESULTS
The physical measurement tools were highly reliable (ICC((2,1)): 0.94 to 1.00) with high concordance (r(c): 0.89 to 0.99). Self-report correlated moderately with physical measurements (r = 0.65 to 0.71) and was moderately reliable (ICC((2,1)): 0.70).


CONCLUSIONS
Lymphedema assessment methods are concordant and reliable but not interchangeable.
Czerniec
S A
SA
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Ward
L C
LC
Refshauge
K M
KM
Beith
J
J
Lee
M J
MJ
York
S
S
Kilbreath
S L
SL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D001132:Arm / Q000473:pathology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008209:Lymphedema / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013057:Spectrum Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires