Lymphoedema after cancer treatment

The most common areas for lymphoedema to occur after cancer treatment are:

• in the arm after breast cancer treatment to the armpit
• in the leg if cancer or its treatment affects nodes in the groin area or the pelvis.

The affected arm or leg may become swollen, stiff, uncomfortable and awkward to move, making it difficult to do daily activities, such as dressing or washing. Lymphoedema can develop weeks, months or even years after cancer treatment and it is difficult to know who will be affected or how bad the lymphoedema will be.

Although lymphoedema is usually found in an arm or leg, other parts of the body can become swollen. There may be swelling of the chest or abdomen (trunk) or groin. Swelling of the breast or chest area can sometimes occur after breast-conserving surgery. If the lymph nodes in the neck are affected, the face may swell, but this is rare.

It is not possible to replace lymph nodes that have been removed or lymphatic vessels that have been damaged, but there are things that can help to prevent lymphoedema|.

Once lymphoedema has developed it cannot be cured permanently. However, it can usually be reduced and controlled|.