View clinical trials related to Lymphedema.
Filter by:Trial developed to inventory the incidence of early and advanced stage lower limb lymphedema in patients diagnosed with and treated for gynaecologic cancer. Four hundred patients with diagnosis stage 1-3 gynaecologic cancer will be included in an observational cohort between diagnosis until maximum 2 weeks after start of the first treatment. They will be followed for occurrence of lower limb lymphedema up till 2 years after their last treatment. Data on signs and symptoms, quality of life, time investment and financial expenses will be collected, to provide information on the incidence and risk factors for lower limb lymphedema, and on its impact on patients, regarding quality of life, sexual well-being and time- and financial investment. Patients developing early stage LLL enter an interventional sub-cohort, in which the effect of class II compressive garments on preventing evolution towards advanced stage LLL will be evaluated.
Lymphedema is a chronic, debilitating disorder characterized by abnormal tissue swelling, adipose deposition and tissue fibrosis, resulting from disruption, blockage, or genetic abnormalities of the lymphatic system. Secondary lymphedema is an acquired lymphedema due to trauma, surgery, radiotherapy or infection among others resulting in a decreased transport capacity of the lymphatic system. This can be combined with an additional load on the lymphatic system due to obesity, venous hypertension or a wound, among others. Advances in oncologic treatment have led to an ever-increasing number of cancer survivors over time. As a result, morbidities related to this treatment (such as secondary lymphedema) are likely to increase too. Risk factors for the development of LLL after treatment for (gynaecological) cancer are: pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy, the number of pelvic lymph nodes removed, adjuvant radiotherapy, adjuvant chemotherapy, increasing BMI/ BMI ≥25 kg/m², lymphocyst formation, increasing age, increasing time since surgery and insufficient physical activity level. To the investigators knowledge, no evidence exists regarding which (combination of) measuring methods are most sensitive to detect early lymphedema at the lower limbs after the treatment of cancer. Thresholds for identifying subclinical edema on one or both lower limbs are lacking. Therefore the investigators want to develop a screening set for patients at risk for developing LLL. Which measurement method (and which criterion) shows the best diagnostic accuracy in screening patients at risk for LLL after cancer treatment? And: What is the added value of combining different measurement methods in terms of diagnostic accuracy?
Lymphedema in the head and neck area is common after treatment for head and neck cancer. The aim of the research project is: • to assess the prevalence of lymphedema in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) by measuring the amount of tissue water in the head and neck area before and after different kinds of cancer treatment, and to evaluate the quality of life before and after cancer treatment.
In order to prevent lymphedema after breast surgery, patients are advised to know the risk factors for lymphedema and to avoid situations that may cause lymphedema, to perform active and passive arm exercises, to evaluate the affected area for lymphedema, to perform self-care and this should be under the self-management of the patients. Investigators think that this study will have a positive effect on the literature since there are no studies on risk scoring, the combined use of training and exercises to strengthen self-care skills in preventing the development of breast cancer-associated lymphedema. From this point of view, the study was planned as a randomized controlled experiment to examine the effects of preoperative lymphedema scoring and postoperative progressive upper extremity exercises on upper extremity function and self-care in women with breast cancer.
After the treatment of urogenital cancer, a person may develop lymphoedema of the leg(s) and/ or midline region. Clinical symptoms include abnormal tissue swelling, sensation of limb heaviness, erythema, pain, and impaired limb function. Lymphoedema can have a negative impact on quality of life (QoL) and the impact of lymphoedema on the cancer treatment decision making process is underestimated. A limited number of studies have evaluated the incidence rate of midline and leg lymphoedema after surgery for urogenital cancers and have investigated the prognostic variables. In addition, to the researchers knowledge, no evidence exists regarding which (combination of) clinical measuring methods are most sensitive to detect early lymphoedema at the lower limbs after the treatment of urogenital cancer. Therefore, in this prospective observational study, the epidemiology (i.e. incidence/ prevalence rate and prognostic variables) and the detection methods of lower limb lymphoedema after pelvic lymph node dissection for urogenital cancer will be investigated. Additionally, the epidemiology of nocturia and nocturnal polyuria will be studied (since this information is also missing in literature).
Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT); It is a treatment method in which high-intensity pressure waves are applied to the desired point in the body. It has been used in the treatment of kidney stones in previous years, and changes in bone tissue have been observed . Today, it is used in musculoskeletal diseases such as plantar fasciitis, epicondylitis, achillestendinitis, and osteoarthritis. The main mechanism of action of ESWT is not clearly known, but many studies have shown that it stimulates the early release of angiogenesis-related growth factors such as endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and increases blood circulation with induced neovascularization, resulting in cell proliferation and tissue growth. It has been shown to increase regeneration . It has been found to be effective in lymphedema with neovascularization and lymphatic channel synthesis . In the literature, there are studies investigating the additional contributions of complex decongestive therapy combined with ESWT in patients with lymphedema.
Background: In addition to antegrade anastomosis, retrograde anastomosis has been thought to offer further improvements after lymphaticovenous anastomosis (LVA) by bypassing the retrograde lymphatic flow. However, this concept has yet to be validated. The aim of this study was to determine the impacts on outcomes of performing both retrograde and antegrade anastomosis, as compared to antegrade-only anastomosis for treating lower limb lymphedema.
Of all of the different measurement methods that are currently available for use in clinical practice for assessing the same lymphedema characteristic (for example water displacement versus perimetry, both assessing swelling) or different lymphedema characteristics (for example water content in the skin versus hardness of the skin versus thickness of the skin), a clear overview about the reliability, concurrent validity (if applicable) and clinical feasibility is missing for the assessment of lower limb lymphedema (LLL). The objective of this observational cross-sectional study is to investigate the (day-to-day) reliability and clinical feasibility of currently applied measurement tools in patients with LLL.
After the treatment of urogenital cancer, a person may develop lymphoedema of the leg(s) and/ or midline region. Lymphoedema is the result of a dysfunction in the lymphatic system and is characterized by excessive retention of lymphatic fluid in the interstitial compartment, adipose deposition and chronic tissue inflammation resulting in fibrosis. Clinical symptoms include abnormal tissue swelling, sensation of limb heaviness, erythema, pain, and impaired limb function. The added value of manual lymph drainage, applied in patients with mild (early) lower limb lymphoedema and in addition to skin care, exercises and a compression stocking, has never been investigated. Therefore, the objective of this randomised controlled pilot trial is to investigate the feasibility of a trial about the added value of manual lymph drainage (to skin care, exercises and wearing compression stocking) in patients with mild (early) lower limb lymphoedema. In fact, the investigators want to determine the sample size for a trial investigating the effectiveness of MLD and want to investigate the feasibility of the study design.
Lymphedema of the extremities is common after lymph node surgery in treating several forms of cancer, e.g., breast cancer. However, very little is known of the occurrence of lymphedema of the lower extremities after urologic surgery with lymph node dissection. This project aims to describe the frequency and grade of lymphedema arising after urologic surgery, using the Lymphedema Quality of Life Questionnaire (LymQOL), Delfin MoistureMeter D, and lower limb volume measurements.