Progress in lymphedema

Abstract

A century ago, the first description of secondary lymphedema resulting from mastectomy was published in the medical literature. For most of the remaining twentieth century, evidence about cancer treatment related lymphedema grew slowly, and mostly through clinicians who wished to understand its causes, natural-history, and post-treatment risks, as well as from clinicians involved with its treatment. In the late 1990s, there was growing recognition that there were large gaps in our understanding of predisposing and post-treatment risks of onset, the near and long-term prevalence of lymphedema, and how to educate patients. Moreover, there was no consensus on best practices for treating lymphedema, and how to ensure the quality of treatment. In 1998, with support from the Longaberger Company®, the American Cancer Society began a long-standing commitment to address enduring challenges associated with lymphedema. This commitment began with a landmark international workshop on lymphedema that was held in New York City in February 1998, millions of dollars in research funding, support to establish the Lymphology Association of North America (LANA), a second workshop convened in February 2011 on the prospective surveillance model for rehabilitation for women with breast cancer, and most recently, the 2023 Lymphedema Summit: Forward momentum; Future Steps in Lymphedema Management, co-sponsored with the LANA, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and the Stryker Corporation. This editorial introduces the papers and expert consensus statements from that Summit.

Keywords: Consensus; Lymphedema; Prevalence; Risk reduction; Surveillance.