Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40563073›Full record

ArticleBreast cancer research and treatment2025

The deltopectoral lymph node: a potential protective biomarker for breast cancer-related lymphedema.

James E Fanning, Angela Chen, Sarah Thomson, Elizabeth Tillotson, Aaron Fleishman, John A Parker, Kevin Donohoe, Dhruv Singhal

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Breast cancer research and treatment, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Lymphovenous Bypass: Past, Present, and Future.Archives of plastic surgery · 2026
    Article
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

8 authors.

James E FanningDivision of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Angela ChenDivision of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Sarah ThomsonDivision of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Elizabeth TillotsonDivision of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Aaron FleishmanDivision of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
John A ParkerDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Kevin DonohoeDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Dhruv SinghalDivision of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. dsinghal@bidmc.harvard.edu.

Funding

Organ Specific ProjectU54HL165440 · NHLBI · BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER · PI HONG, YOUNG-KWON, SINGHAL, DHRUV · 2022 to 2025
$5.8M
Structural and Functional Remodeling of the Lymphatic System After Axillary Lymph Node DissectionR01HL157991 · NHLBI · BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER · PI Dhruv Singhal · 2021 to 2026
$3.1M
Common Fund U54HL165440JOBST 2024 JOBST Lymphatic Research GrantNHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL157991NHLBI NIH HHS R01HL157991NHLBI NIH HHS U54 HL165440
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe lateral upper arm lymphatic pathway is theorized as a route of superficial lymphatic drainage protective against breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) after axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). This study describes lymph nodes draining the lateral upper arm pathway.

methodsHealthy female volunteers underwent bilateral ICG lymphography and nuclear lymphoscintigraphy. Nuclear tracer was injected over the cephalic vein in the upper arm. Lymph nodes with tracer uptake were recorded as deltopectoral, Station 1 (Axillary Levels I or II and Interpectoral), or Station 2 (Axillary Level III, Infraclavicular, Supraclavicular Levels IV or Vb, and Cervical Level Va).

results72 arms of 36 volunteers were included. Functional drainage to deltopectoral lymph nodes was observed in 38% (27/72) of arms. Drainage to Station 1, Station 2, and neither station was observed in 96% (69/72), 36% (26/72), and 3% (2/72) of arms, respectively. No differences were observed between arms with or without deltopectoral lymph nodes draining to Station 1 lymph nodes (93% vs 98%, p = 0.286) or neither station (4% vs 2%, p = 0.711), respectively. A significant difference was observed between arms with or without deltopectoral lymph nodes draining to Station 2 lymph nodes (52% vs 27%, p = 0.031).

conclusionsDeltopectoral lymph node drainage is significantly correlated with Station 2 lymph node drainage. As Station 2 lymph nodes are preserved in an ALND, the presence of deltopectoral lymph node drainage represents an important potential protective biomarker for BCRL development.

Indexed as

Breast Cancer LymphedemaBreast NeoplasmsLymphedemaLymph NodesAdultAgedAxillaBiomarkersFemaleHumansLymph Node ExcisionLymphographyLymphoscintigraphyMiddle AgedBiomarkersAxillary lymph node dissectionBreast cancerBreast cancer-related lymphedemaLymphaticLymphedemaLymph nodeSurgical oncology

Identifiers

PMID40563073
PMCPMC12826539

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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.