Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40102881›Full record

ArticleRadiation oncology (London, England)2025

Incidence and predictors of lower extremity lymphedema after postoperative radiotherapy for prostate cancer.

Giuseppe Facondo, Marta Bottero, Lucia Goanta, Alessia Farneti, Adriana Faiella, Pasqualina D'Urso, Giuseppe Sanguineti

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Radiation oncology (London, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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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

7 authors.

Giuseppe Facondo *Radiation Oncology, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy.
Marta Bottero *Radiation Oncology, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy. marta.bottero@ifo.it.
Lucia GoantaRadiation Oncology, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy.
Alessia FarnetiRadiation Oncology, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy.
Adriana FaiellaRadiation Oncology, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy.
Pasqualina D'UrsoRadiation Oncology, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy.
Giuseppe SanguinetiRadiation Oncology, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTo assess the rate and predictors of lower extremity lymphedema (LEL) after radiotherapy (RT) following radical prostatectomy (RP) ± pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) for prostate cancer.

methodsPatients (pts) treated with adjuvant or salvage RT after RP ± PLND and a minimum 2-year follow-up were included. LEL was defined as a volume difference ≥ 10% between limbs evaluated using circumferential measurements with a flexible non-stretch tape. The following predictors were investigated at logistic regression: age (continuous); body mass index (BMI, continuous); exercise level (low vs. medium/high); smoking (yes vs. no); cigarette pack/year (continuous); hypertension (yes ns no); vascular comorbidity (yes vs. no); diabetes (yes vs. no); PLND (yes vs. no); number of examined nodes (continuous); whole pelvis radiotherapy (WPRT) (yes vs. no); time between RP and RT (continuous); planning target volume (PTV) volume (continuous); PTV/BMI (continuous). Statistical significance was claimed for p < 0.05.

results101 pts were examined. The median time from surgery to RT was 36.1 months (mths) (IQR: 15.0-68.3), the median time from RT to the date of study examination was 51.1 months (IQR: 36.8-65.3). 14 pts developed LEL (13.9%), 3 pts (2.9%) before RT, 11 pts (10.8%) after RT. The median time from RT to LEL was 4 mths (IQR: 0.5-17.3). At multivariable analysis (MVA) diabetes mellitus (DM) (OR = 32.8, p = 0.02), time between surgery and RT (OR = 0.966, p = 0.039) and exercise (OR = 0.03, p = 0.002) were independently correlated to LEL. The number of examined nodes was highly correlated to LEL at univariate analysis (OR = 1.066, p = 0.025) but was not confirmed at MVA (p = 0.719). Interestingly, the distribution of the examined nodes was statistically different between pts with low (median N = 12) vs. medium/high (N = 5) exercise (p = 0.034).

conclusionsClinically detectable LEL involves a minority of pts after RT. DM is a predisposing factor, while awaiting RT delivery has a protective effect favoring salvage over adjuvant RT.

Indexed as

Lower ExtremityLymphedemaProstatic NeoplasmsAgedFollow-Up StudiesHumansIncidenceLymph Node ExcisionMaleMiddle AgedPrognosisProstatectomyRadiotherapy, AdjuvantRetrospective StudiesRisk FactorsLower extremity lymphedemaPost-operative radiotherapyProstate cancerRadical prostatectomy

Identifiers

PMID40102881
PMCPMC11921733

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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.