Lymphoscintigraphy standards to unravel breast cancer lymphoedema
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Establishing lymphoscintigraphy standards to unravel breast cancer related lymphoedema
IRAS ID
213613
Contact name
Massimiliano Cariati
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Kings College London
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
We are conducting this study in healthy volunteers to help us understand the normal standards of lymph drainage in the healthy lower limb and to assist us in the design of a subsequent major study focusing on breast cancer related lymphoedema.
Breast cancer related lymphoedema is a chronic swelling of the arm that presents following axillary lymph node surgery for breast cancer. Lymphoedema is an irreversible side effect of breast cancer treatment, affecting approximately 1 out of 4 patients undergoing axillary clearance and 1 out of 20 undergoing sentinel lymph node biopsy. It is associated with significant physical, functional, psychological and social morbidity requiring lifelong management.
Despite its prevalence, breast cancer related lymphoedema remains a poorly understood process. We know that the root cause of arm lymphoedema following breast cancer is the surgical removal of lymph glands in the armpit region but we don’t understand why some women develop lymphoedema and others do not. We recently suggested that lymphatic weakness (‘latent lymphoedema’) may predispose women to breast cancer related lymphoedema. Studying lower limbs of women more than 3 years post-axillary treatment, we found that lymphatic function was decreased in women who have developed breast cancer related lymphoedema compared with those who had not. We now plan to expand on the above findings by using a technique called lymphoscintigraphy, to measure lower extremity lymphatic function in a large prospective group of woman with breast cancer scheduled to undergo surgical treatment to the axilla.
Prior to embarking on the main project, we need to determine what the normal limits of lower limb lymphatic function are with lymphoscintigraphy. To achieve this, we plan to recruit 30 healthy women aged between 40 to 75 who will undergo lower limb lymphoscintigraphy.
REC name
London - London Bridge Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/2031
Date of REC Opinion
7 Dec 2016
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion