My name’s Rhian Davies and I’m a Macmillan university teacher at the University of Glasgow.

The lymphatic system is the body’s waste disposal system.

It’s there to take away the fluid that the cells create within the tissues

when they’re working hard.

And it carries this waste fluid up to the glands, the lymph nodes,

maybe in the axilla or in the neck, or top of the leg

and once it’s been filtered and cleaned and any germs have been dealt with

with antibodies, then it can go back into the circulation system again.

Lymphoedema is when this fluid can’t drain away properly

and that might be after cancer or its treatment

or it might be because some people have been born with a lymphatic system that doesn’t function very well.

So when the body’s in distress a limb can become swollen.

Lymphoedema can be caused, for some people, by breast cancer

or its treatments.

So it may be that the cancer itself has blocked the lymph nodes from working properly

and somebody notices a swollen limb or the breast itself becoming swollen.

Sometimes it’s the surgery or the radiotherapy that one’s had

that can cause trauma to the lymphatic system.

Lymphoedema can also be caused by treatments for melanoma

or some of the gynaecological cancers or even a head and neck cancer

so the swelling would occur in the face.

Lymphoedema develops very slowly

so people tend to notice an ache in the limb first perhaps

or it feels tight or heavy or some odd sensations

and that’s really the ideal time to ask the people who are looking after them

to check what it is.

They may notice that clothes become tight, or rings and watches leave indentations

so anything that indicates that the limb is swelling at all

but it will usually be a slow, gradual swelling.

Occasionally, the limb can swell very quickly, and it may at this point be red or hot

and that’s definitely when somebody should seek medical advice as quickly as possible.

If patients spot any symptoms of lymphoedema, they could of course go to their GP

or if they’re already in the regular treatments in the cancer treatment centre or other specialist units

then it’s a good idea to air their concerns to the person looking after them.

Lymphoedema is so much easier to manage if it’s caught early.

The doctor or nurse looking after you will look at your skin and feel your tissues to see how much lymphoedema there is there, if at all.

And it may be at that point that it’s appropriate to refer you to a lymphoedema specialist clinic.

However, if it’s early days and it’s very mild it might be that you just need the advice on how to look after it yourself.

For information, help, or if you just want to chat

the Macmillan Support Line on 0808 808 00 00

or visit macmillan.org.uk