BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and nature of internal, external, and combined lymphedema and fibrosis in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We obtained consent from 100 patients newly diagnosed with having cancer of the head and neck for a 4-year, prospective, longitudinal descriptive study. Recruitment began in August 23, 2010, and the study was completed in April 24, 2014. Eighty-three were evaluated at regular intervals from preradiation therapy to 18 months post-treatment. Percentage developing external, internal, or both types of lymphedema and/or fibrosis and trajectories of the severity of external, internal, or both types of lymphedema and/or fibrosis were determined. RESULTS: Before treatment, lymphedema rates were the following: external: 62.7%, internal: 41.7%, or combined: 29.2%, and/or fibrosis: 42.2%. Ranges of lymphedema late-effect rates were even higher: external: 81.9%-90.1%, internal: 80.4%-89.4%, combined: 70.6%-80.9%, and fibrosis: 66.7%-77.4%. Approximately 75% had a late-effect trajectory characterized by moderate to severe external or internal lymphedema; ∼47% had moderate to severe fibrosis. CONCLUSION: Lymphatic and soft tissue complications of HNC occur not only post-treatment but also before treatment. They are ubiquitous throughout the first 18 months post-treatment, with greater than 90% of patients in our study experiencing some form of internal, external, or combined lymphedema, and over half of those patients developing fibrosis. Further research regarding these conditions is indicated.
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and nature of internal, external, and combined lymphedema and fibrosis in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We obtained consent from 100 patients newly diagnosed with having cancer of the head and neck for a 4-year, prospective, longitudinal descriptive study. Recruitment began in August 23, 2010, and the study was completed in April 24, 2014. Eighty-three were evaluated at regular intervals from preradiation therapy to 18 months post-treatment. Percentage developing external, internal, or both types of lymphedema and/or fibrosis and trajectories of the severity of external, internal, or both types of lymphedema and/or fibrosis were determined. RESULTS: Before treatment, lymphedema rates were the following: external: 62.7%, internal: 41.7%, or combined: 29.2%, and/or fibrosis: 42.2%. Ranges of lymphedema late-effect rates were even higher: external: 81.9%-90.1%, internal: 80.4%-89.4%, combined: 70.6%-80.9%, and fibrosis: 66.7%-77.4%. Approximately 75% had a late-effect trajectory characterized by moderate to severe external or internal lymphedema; ∼47% had moderate to severe fibrosis. CONCLUSION: Lymphatic and soft tissue complications of HNC occur not only post-treatment but also before treatment. They are ubiquitous throughout the first 18 months post-treatment, with greater than 90% of patients in our study experiencing some form of internal, external, or combined lymphedema, and over half of those patients developing fibrosis. Further research regarding these conditions is indicated.
Authors: Anil K Chaturvedi; Eric A Engels; Ruth M Pfeiffer; Brenda Y Hernandez; Weihong Xiao; Esther Kim; Bo Jiang; Marc T Goodman; Maria Sibug-Saber; Wendy Cozen; Lihua Liu; Charles F Lynch; Nicolas Wentzensen; Richard C Jordan; Sean Altekruse; William F Anderson; Philip S Rosenberg; Maura L Gillison Journal: J Clin Oncol Date: 2011-10-03 Impact factor: 44.544
Authors: Jie Deng; Sheila H Ridner; Mary S Dietrich; Nancy Wells; Kenneth A Wallston; Robert J Sinard; Anthony J Cmelak; Barbara A Murphy Journal: J Pain Symptom Manage Date: 2011-07-30 Impact factor: 3.612
Authors: Nicole L Stout Gergich; Lucinda A Pfalzer; Charles McGarvey; Barbara Springer; Lynn H Gerber; Peter Soballe Journal: Cancer Date: 2008-06-15 Impact factor: 6.860
Authors: Jie Deng; Barbara A Murphy; Mary S Dietrich; Nancy Wells; Kenneth A Wallston; Robert J Sinard; Anthony J Cmelak; Jill Gilbert; Sheila H Ridner Journal: Head Neck Date: 2012-07-12 Impact factor: 3.147
Authors: David J Adelstein; John A Ridge; Maura L Gillison; Anil K Chaturvedi; Gypsyamber D'Souza; Patti E Gravitt; William Westra; Amanda Psyrri; W Martin Kast; Laura A Koutsky; Anna Giuliano; Steven Krosnick; Andy Trotti; David E Schuller; Arlene Forastiere; Claudio Dansky Ullmann Journal: Head Neck Date: 2009-11 Impact factor: 3.147
Authors: Primož Strojan; Katherine A Hutcheson; Avraham Eisbruch; Jonathan J Beitler; Johannes A Langendijk; Anne W M Lee; June Corry; William M Mendenhall; Robert Smee; Alessandra Rinaldo; Alfio Ferlito Journal: Cancer Treat Rev Date: 2017-07-18 Impact factor: 12.111
Authors: Joseph M Aulino; Elizabeth M Wulff-Burchfield; Mary S Dietrich; Sheila H Ridner; Kenneth J Niermann; Jie Deng; Bethany A Rhoten; Jennifer K Doersam; Lee Ann Jarrett; Kyle Mannion; Barbara A Murphy Journal: Lymphat Res Biol Date: 2018-02 Impact factor: 2.589
Authors: Julian Ramírez; Daniel Rodriquez; Fang Qiao; Julian Warchall; Jasmine Rye; Eden Aklile; Andrew S-C Chiang; Brandon C Marin; Patrick P Mercier; C K Cheng; Katherine A Hutcheson; Eileen H Shinn; Darren J Lipomi Journal: ACS Nano Date: 2018-06-08 Impact factor: 15.881
Authors: Sara C Parke; David Michael Langelier; Jessica Tse Cheng; Cristina Kline-Quiroz; Michael Dean Stubblefield Journal: Curr Oncol Rep Date: 2022-02-19 Impact factor: 5.075
Authors: Asha Mathew; Amit Jiwan Tirkey; Hongjin Li; Alana Steffen; Mark B Lockwood; Crystal L Patil; Ardith Z Doorenbos Journal: Semin Oncol Nurs Date: 2021-09-03 Impact factor: 3.527
Authors: Jennifer K Doersam; Mary S Dietrich; Melissa A Adair; Bethany Rhoten; Jie Deng; Sheila H Ridner Journal: Lymphat Res Biol Date: 2019-08-05 Impact factor: 2.589