At risk for lymphedema is any breast cancer patient who has had either a lumpectomy, a mastectomy, or modified radical mastectomy in combination with axillary node dissection and, often, radiation therapy. Lymphedema can occur immediately post-operatively, within a few months, a couple of years, or 20 years or more after cancer therapy.
However, with proper education and care, lymphedema can be avoided or, if it develops, kept well under control. |
