A randomized controlled trial of weight reduction as a treatment for breast cancer-related lymphedema.
Cancer. 2007 Sep
Clare Shaw, PhD, RD 1 *, Peter Mortimer, MD 2, Patricia A. Judd, PhD, RD 3
1Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Royal Marsden National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom2Dermatological Medicine, Royal Marsden National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom3Nutrition and Dietetics, Lancashire School of Health and Postgraduate Medicine, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom
email: Clare Shaw (
clare.shaw@rmh.nhs.uk)Correspondence to Clare Shaw, Royal Marsden National Health Service Foundation Trust, Fulham Road, London SW3 6JJ, United KingdomKeywords: diet • weight reduction • breast cancer • lymphedema • intervention
BACKGROUND: Obesity is considered a risk factor for the development of breast cancer-related lymphedema of the arm and as a poor prognostic factor in response to lymphedema treatment. The objective of this study was to examine weight reduction as a treatment for breast cancer-related lymphedema.
METHODS: Twenty-one women with breast cancer-related lymphedema were randomized either to receive dietary advice for weight reduction or to receive a booklet on general healthy eating. They were monitored for 12 weeks.
RESULTS: The primary outcome measure was arm volume at 12 weeks. The results indicated a significant reduction in swollen arm volume at the end of the 12-week period (P = .003) in the intervention weight-reduction group. There was a significant reduction in body weight (P = .02) and body mass index (P = .016) in the weight-reduction group at the end of the 12-week study period.
CONCLUSIONS: Weight loss achieved by dietary advice to reduce energy intake can reduce breast cancer-related lymphedema significantly. Cancer 2007. (c) 2007 American Cancer Society.
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