Use of Technology in Lymphoedema Assessment
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring the Effectiveness and Health Economic Impact of Using Technology in the Assessment of Lymphoedema
IRAS ID
259903
Contact name
Cheryl E Pike
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
ABMUHB R&D dept
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Lymphoedema can be a consequence of cancer treatment. Damage to the lymphatic system results in a build-up of fluid, usually in the limb on the affected cancer side. There are different methods for assessing the severity of a person’s lymphoedema. Currently, there is limited research investigating the method of assessing and diagnosing lymphoedema; nor which would be the most cost-effective. A universal or gold standard method is also absent within the literature. Thus, within lymphoedema appointments, a variety of methods are used.
This study aims to test five different methods of assessment in a lymphoedema clinic to discover which is the most effective in both diagnoses and cost. The methods are circumferential tape measurement, perometer, bio-impedance and patient self-reporting questionnaire.
The circumferential tape measure is where the limb is measured every 4cm and volume is calculated using a programme called Lymcalc. The perometer is a device that scans the limb to work out its circumference and calculates volume at the same time. Bio-impedance is a device that uses an electrical current to establish how much fluid is in the tissues and is calculated using a ratio of the affected versus unaffected limb. We will be looking to compare two devices namely the Bodystat Quadscan 4000 and the L-Dex® U400. A patient self-report questionnaire which encourages the person to assess the severity of their lymphoedema will then be compared to the findings from the physical measurements.
Comparison of the methods of assessment against a person’s opinion of the severity of their lymphoedema will help us understand which method gives the most useful information to a therapist and the person with lymphoedema. Each method will be timed so that a health economics model can identify which method is the most cost-effective relating to staff time and the cost of the device.
REC name
London - Westminster Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/LO/0363
Date of REC Opinion
19 Mar 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion