Active clinical trials for "Lymphedema"

This is a pilot study at the National Cancer Institute (INT) of Milan evaluated the feasibility of selective axillary dissection (SAD) which preserved the lymphatic drainage of the arm. Lymph nodes draining the arm are identified following radiotracer injection and lymphoscintigraphy, a technique called axillary reverse mapping (ARM). SAD was found feasible in 75% of patients. Furthermore only 9% had BCRL after SAD compared to 33% after axillary lymph node dissection (ALND).

Despite different types of bandages are using in the lymphedema treatment, numerous of them have not been directly compared. The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of five different kinds of bandages on limb volume and lymphedema-related symptoms. It was also measured as secondary variables the comfort of the bandage related by the participants and the directly cost of each kind of bandage during the treatment.

A common complication of breast conserving therapy is breast edema, which may lead to chronic pain, but also reduced quality of life (QoL) and poor cosmetic outcome. When pain is present most patients are currently treated with physical therapy, but evidence of its effectiveness is still low and a gold standard does not yet exist. A downside of physical therapy is that patients have to undergo the therapy regularly and treatment might even has to continue for years after symptoms and treatment started. Another treatment option is a compression vest with the potential, apart from reducing symptoms, to improve self-efficacy in patients because they decide when to wear it without the need to visit therapists. However effectiveness of the compression vest has not yet been objectified in studies. The aim of this pilot study is to study if there is an effect on pain, QoL and the amount of breast edema of wearing a compression vest, in order to determine whether a large randomized study is feasible.

Lymphedema (significant arm swelling on the surgical side) is one of the most common complications following treatment for breast cancer. The impact of lymphedema is profound, resulting in negative self image, increased anxiety and poorer quality of life. In time, lymphedema can result in recurrent infections in the arm, functional impairment and pain. Approximately 21% of women who undergo breast cancer treatment develop lymphedema. Unfortunately this is a life-time condition which tends to worsen over time. Currently, treatment consists of intensive physiotherapy, meant to reduce the arm volume followed by the wearing of compression sleeves during the day for maintenance. This study hopes to show that the addition of night-time compression creates a measurable reduction in arm volume and that adding night-time compression to the standard care (daytime compression only) will produce improvements in quality of life for breast cancer survivors.

The aims of this study are to determine the effectiveness of myofascial massage specific to the breast/chest/shoulder area in reducing self-reported pain and increasing mobility among patients who have undergone a mastectomy or other breast surgery compared to a control group receiving global relaxation massages.

The post-mastectomy lymphedema is a complication of removal of the breast and nodal plexus that causes accumulation of lymph and subsequent enlargement of the upper limb. It is the most common complication of all attributable to mastectomy with axillary dissection and which occurs in one third of patients who undergo radical mastectomy and radiotherapy post-operation. Currently the treatment of lymphedema of the upper limb is mainly the use of compression stockings, the use of pneumatic compression pumps and physiotherapy. Multiple reports indicate that endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) can differentiate into various cell lines, reproduced and participate in neoangiogenesis. This study was conducted in the General Surgery Service, of the Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio González "and proposes the EPC obtained autologous transplantation of bone marrow for the treatment of postoperative lymphedema in upper limb following axillary lymphadenectomy through the stimulation of lymphatic neoangiogenesis. The investigators studied 20 female patients over 18 years after axillary lymphadenectomy. The objective is to develop an innovative and definitive treatment for these patients and to analyze the costs and complications that this treatment may have.

RATIONALE: Image-guided radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Specialized radiation therapy that delivers a lower dose of radiation directly to the tumor may kill more tumor cells and cause less damage to normal tissue. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying the side effects and how well image-guided radiation therapy works in treating patients with primary soft tissue sarcoma of the shoulder, arm, hip, or leg.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of bevacizumab in women with lymphedema as a result of previous treatment for breast cancer.

Mansonella perstans (M. perstans) infection is widespread in Uganda. Knowledge about the epidemiology of this infection, and of the morbidity it induces is poor, and no effective treatment is available. The study aims at providing data on diagnostic, epidemiological, morbidity and treatment aspects of M. perstans infections in Uganda.

The purpose of this study is to examine the short-term and long-term efficacy of massage therapy alone compared to massage therapy plus compression bandaging in the treatment of breast cancer treatment-related swelling of the arms and legs.