Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2018 Feb;32(1):48-52.
doi: 10.1055/s-0038-1632403. Epub 2018 Apr 9.

New and Emerging Treatments for Lymphedema

Mark V Schaverien  1 , Melissa B Aldrich  2
Affiliations
Review

New and Emerging Treatments for Lymphedema

Mark V Schaverien et al. Semin Plast Surg. 2018 Feb.

Abstract

Although nonoperative and operative treatments for lymphedema (LE) are well established, these procedures typically provide only partial relief from limb swelling, functional impairment, and the risk of cellulitis. The lack of a cure for LE, however, is due to an incomplete understanding of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms, and current research efforts are focusing on elucidating these processes to provide new, targeted therapies for this prevalent disease for which there is no cure. This article reviews the current literature regarding the pathophysiological mechanisms that underlie LE, as well as new and emerging therapies for the condition.

Keywords: inflammation; lymphedema; therapies; treatment.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest None.

References

    1. Shaitelman S F, Chiang Y J, Griffin K D et al. Radiation therapy targets and the risk of breast cancer-related lymphedema: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2017;162(02):201–215. - PubMed
    1. Rutkowski J M, Swartz M A. A driving force for change: interstitial flow as a morphoregulator. Trends Cell Biol. 2007;17(01):44–50. - PubMed
    1. Mihara M, Hara H, Hayashi Y et al. Pathological steps of cancer-related lymphedema: histological changes in the collecting lymphatic vessels after lymphadenectomy. PLoS One. 2012;7(07):e41126. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Olszewski W L, Jamal S, Manokaran G, Lukomska B, Kubicka U. Skin changes in filarial and non-filarial lymphoedema of the lower extremities. Trop Med Parasitol. 1993;44(01):40–44. - PubMed
    1. Zampell J C, Yan A, Elhadad S, Avraham T, Weitman E, Mehrara B J. CD4(+) cells regulate fibrosis and lymphangiogenesis in response to lymphatic fluid stasis. PLoS One. 2012;7(11):e49940. - PMC - PubMed