Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30555923›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in women's health2018

Lymphedema following breast cancer: The importance of surgical methods and obesity.

Rebecca J Tsai, Leslie K Dennis, Charles F Lynch, Linda G Snetselaar, Gideon K D Zamba, Carol Scott-Conner

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in women's health, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
18citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 20% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

18 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 36 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Breast cancer related lymphedema and shoulder mobility following radiotherapy.Strahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al] · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Rebecca J TsaiDepartment of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
Leslie K DennisDepartment of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
Charles F LynchDepartment of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
Linda G SnetselaarDepartment of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
Gideon K D ZambaDepartment of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
Carol Scott-ConnerDepartment of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
University of Iowa · US

Funding

Viral VectorP30CA086862 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF IOWA · PI Christopher K Laubenthal · 2000 to 2026
$70.0M
Arm lymphedema in female breast cancer cases diagnosed in IowaR03CA130031 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF IOWA · PI TSAI, REBECCA J · 2008 to 2009
$150k
NCI NIH HHS R03 CA130031
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBreast cancer-related arm lymphedema is a serious complication that can adversely affect quality of life. Identifying risk factors that contribute to the development of lymphedema is vital for identifying avenues for prevention. The aim of this study was to examine the association between the development of arm lymphedema and both treatment and personal (e.g., obesity) risk factors.

methodsWomen diagnosed with breast cancer in Iowa during 2004 and followed through 2010, who met eligibility criteria, were asked to complete a short computer assisted telephone interview about chronic conditions, arm activities, demographics, and lymphedema status. Lymphedema was characterized by a reported physician-diagnosis, a difference between arms in the circumference (> 2cm), or the presence of multiple self-reported arm symptoms (at least two of five major arm symptoms, and at least four total arm symptoms). Relative risks (RR) were estimated using logistic regression.

resultsArm lymphedema was identified in 102 of 522 participants (19.5%). Participants treated by both axillary dissection and radiation therapy were more likely to have arm lymphedema than treated by either alone. Women with advanced cancer stage, positive nodes, and larger tumors along with a body mass index > 40 were also more likely to develop lymphedema. Arm activity level was not associated with lymphedema.

conclusionsSurgical methods, cancer characteristics and obesity were found to contribute to the development of arm lymphedema. Vigorous arm activity post-surgery was not found to increase the risk of arm lymphedema.

Indexed as

arm activityarm lymphedemabody mass indexbreast cancer comorbiditysurgery

Identifiers

PMID30555923
PMCPMC6293280
OpenAlexW2807317686

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.