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Brian D. Lawenda, MD>>> Lymphedema can come from multiple different reasons, for treatment
of breast cancer. It can come from treatment to the axilla, from radiation treatment, it
can also come from surgery, and, unfortunately, it can also come from when you do both treatments
together.
In fact it is much more common if you are to do both extensive surgery to the armpit
area or even a sentinel lymph node residue which is less extensive than an older procedure,
which was the axillary lymph node dissection, which is still done but for more involvement
of the lymph node region by cancer.
When we have to radiate the armpit area or the axillary area, we increased the risk of
developing lymphedema, may be at least 50%, and if we were to have to radiate the area
above the clavicle, we also increased the risk of developing lymphedema as well. So,
radiation is known to cause lymphedema and so it is something that we have to counsel
our patients very carefully about.