Breast cancer research and treatment
-
Breast Cancer Res. Treat. · May 2013
A longitudinal study of shoulder and arm morbidity in breast cancer survivors 7 years after sentinel lymph node biopsy or axillary lymph node dissection.
Knowledge about long-term consequences of breast cancer treatment on shoulder and arm function and volume in stages I-II breast cancer survivors is limited. The effects of shoulder-arm function shortly after surgery on long-term function are unknown. One hundred and ninety-four women were examined pre-surgery (T0) and 6 weeks after surgery (T1). ⋯ Impairments were found in five of eight shoulder-arm functions. After SLNB, women have less forward flexion impairment and less arm volume increase than after ALND. Shoulder-arm function at 6 weeks after surgery and age are the strongest predictors of long-term shoulder-arm function.