DID YOU KNOW THAT BREAST CANCER PATIENTS HAVE A HIGHER RISK OF DEVELOPING SECONDARY LYMPHEDEMA?

Lymphedema is the swelling that occurs in the tissues as a consequence of the accumulation of lymph, the fluid that is normally drained through the lymphatic system. Secondary lymphedema is the one that develops due to alterations in the lymphatic vessels or nodes, and that occurs after birth, in this case for the following reasons (Source: https://fedeal.org/linfedema/):

• Tumors near the lymph nodes or major lymphatic vessels.
• Radiation treatments applied to these tumors.
• Surgeries in which nodes are removed or major lymphatic vessels are affected.

Nearly 1 million people in Spain suffer from lymphedema, and it is estimated that each year, only in secondary lymphedemas associated with breast cancer procedures, 3,000 women develop it in our country (Source: Cocemfe Madrid).

Today, oncology patients are still not informed about the possible risks of cancer treatments and procedures, such as secondary lymphedema. Patients often find themselves defenseless before a system that leaves them unprotected. There is even a great lack of training among public healthcare doctors, who in many cases provide late diagnoses. That is, after having undergone breast cancer surgery, patients are still not informed of the possibility of developing secondary lymphedema.

More than 90% of the people who come to adelprise with an inflamed arm after having had breast cancer did not know about the existence of lymphedema, according to the data we collect at ADELPRISE.

How can we help you from the organization?

At the association we mainly dedicate ourselves to welcoming and helping people affected when they are diagnosed or when they suspect they may have lymphedema. In that welcome we guide them, advise them about available resources and professionals they can turn to, and we provide all the information we have at ADELPRISE, informing them about existing treatments and compression garments. In addition, we offer other services, support, and work that we offer and carry out from the association:

• Information, summaries, and preparation of conferences, congresses, workshops, and training on bandaging and orthoprosthetic garments.
• Sports activities adapted to this condition.
• Self-help groups and individual psychology sessions.

• Discount vouchers for manual lymphatic drainage sessions in physiotherapy centers.
• Awareness-raising for society.
• Awareness-raising for the healthcare community.
• Nutrition talks.
• Coordination with other organizations working in the oncology field.
• Support for people who need it and assistance in the search for municipal resources.
• Advice and guidance on specialized professionals.
• Guidance for the processes of accessing professionals, requesting compression sleeves and bandages.

What do we advocate for at ADELPRISE?

We believe that there is a need to create lymphedema units with a multidisciplinary team that works in coordination across different areas. In addition, it is very important to carry out early diagnoses and control edema. Likewise, we advocate for the importance of ensuring that people affected by breast cancer are informed and that the possible risks are explained to them, in this case, that secondary lymphedema is explained to them and when it may appear.