Detecting subclinical secondary lymphoedema using bioimpedance: A preliminary study

Secondary lymphoedema reduces both a patient’s physical and psychological quality of life (QOL; Franks et al, 2006; Chase and Wenzel, 2011; Fu et al, 2013) and is frequently seen in cancer patients after treatment that includes lymph node dissection (LND) or radiation therapy (Moffatt et al, 2003). The major symptoms of lymphoedema include discomfort, heaviness, problems with physical mobility, and pain. The condition can be debilitating and require intensive, costly treatment (Ryan et al, 2003; Tiwari, 2003). As the condition is irreversible, patients with, or at risk of developing, lymphoedema require care throughout their life. Prevention and early intervention are two of the main issues in lymphoedema care (Paskett et al, 2012). Precise assessment of the condition is important for timely intervention and to prevent worsening of the patient’s condition. In many cases, lymph transport impairment is only suspected after the reporting of discomfort, by which time a severe At low frequencies, most of the current will flow preferentially through the extracellular fluid (ECF). In contrast, reactance of the cell membranes decreases at higher frequencies, and the current passes through both the ECF and intracellular fluid (ICF; Dittmar and Reber, 2002). The ratio of the body water component ECF/ICF or ECF/total body fluid (TBF) is widely used to assess fluid changes in oedematous patients, including those with lymphoedema. Sakuda et al (2010) showed the characteristics of body fluid by ICF/ECF in breast cancer patients after surgery (Sakuda et al, 2010). Some studies have shown the success of using MF-BIA as a tool to predict the early onset of lymphoedema (Cornish et al, 2001; Halaska et al, 2010). However, there is currently no reliable index to predict the occurrence of lymphoedema. The aim of the present prospective study was to detect the potential occurrence of secondary lymphoedema due to LND by examining Abstract