title: The use of bioimpedance spectroscopy to monitor therapeutic intervention in patients treated for breast cancer related lymphedema.
abstract: We performed a multi-institutional analysis to evaluate the ability of bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) to capture the impact of lymphedema treatment compared with observation alone in the management of breast cancer related lymphedema (BCRL). We utilized a retrospective review of 50 patients with breast cancer who were evaluated with BIS at baseline and following loco-regional treatment. An analysis was performed comparing changes in L-Dex scores for those patients undergoing treatment for BCRL (n=13) versus those not undergoing intervention (n=37). A second (subset) analysis was also performed on all patients with elevated L-Dex scores compared to baseline prior to undergoing loco-regional treatment (n=32). When comparing the cohort treated for BCRL to those not treated, L-Dex scores were significantly reduced (-4.3 v. 0.1, p=0.005) in the period following intervention (for treated patients). For the subset of patients with elevated L-Dex scores postoperation, the change in L-Dex score following BCRL treatment was significantly reduced (-5.8 v. 0.1, p=0.001) compared with the group observed that had elevated postsurgical L-Dex scores. In this analysis, BIS was able to detect early onset lymphedema and subsequently significant changes (reductions) in L-Dex scores directly related to intervention for BCRL compared with observation alone.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vicini
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Beitsch
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laidley
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Anglin
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ridner
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lyden
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D058266:Dielectric Spectroscopy; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D042601:Lymphatic Vessels / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D008209:Lymphedema / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D042361:Mammary Glands, Human / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D015409:Mastectomy, Radical; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents