Clinical incidence of lymphoedema in breast cancer patients in Jönköping County, Sweden.

The clinical incidence of lymphoedema of the arm in breast cancer patients was studied before and after general mammography screening in the county of Jönköping, Sweden. There was a significant decrease of incidence of lymphoedema from 15% in 1983 to 8% in 1988. Clinical and pathological therapy data have been analysed in relation to lymphoedema. Significant factors contributing to lymphoedema were the number of lymph nodes examined and the number of pathologically positive lymph nodes. A higher proportion of patients receiving post-operative radiotherapy to the axilla developed lymphoedema, compared with those with surgery alone. A comparison between the two groups is impossible due to the fact that post-operative radiotherapy was prescribed only to patients with pathologically positive lymph nodes.