THE EFFECTS OF SYMPTOMATIC SEROMA ON LYMPHEDEMA SYMPTOMS FOLLOWING BREAST CANCER TREATMENT

Abstract

It has been speculated that symptomaticseroma, or seroma requiring needle aspiration,is one of the risk factors for lymphedemasymptoms following breast cancer treatment.These symptoms exert tremendous impact onpatients’ quality of life and include armswelling, chest/breast swelling, heaviness,tightness, firmness, pain, numbness, stiffness,or impaired limb mobility. Our aim was toexplore if symptomatic seroma affectslymphedema symptoms following breast cancertreatment. Data were collected from 130patients using a Demographic and MedicalInformation interview tool, Lymphedemaand Breast Cancer Questionnaire, and reviewof medical record. Arm swelling was verifiedby Sequential Circumferential ArmMeasurements and Bioelectrical ImpedanceSpectroscopy. Data analysis includeddescriptive statistics, Chi-squared tests,regression, exploratory factor analysis andexploratory structural equation modeling.Thirty-five patients (27%) developedsymptomatic seroma. Locations of seromaincluded axilla, breast, and upper chest.Significantly, more women with seromaexperienced more lymphedema symptoms. Awell-fit exploratory structural equation model[X2(79)=92.15, p=0.148; CFI=0.97; TLI=0.96]revealed a significant unique effect of seromaon lymphedema symptoms of arm swelling,chest/breast swelling, tenderness, andblistering (ß=0.48, p<0.01). Patients whodeveloped symptomatic seroma had 7.78 and10.64 times the odds of developing armswelling and chest/breast swelling versusthose who did not, respectively (p<0.001).Symptomatic seroma is associated withincreased risk of developing lymphedemasymptoms following breast cancer treatment.Patients who develop symptomatic seromashould be considered at higher risk forlymphedema symptoms and receivelymphedema risk reduction interventions.