Ann Rehabil Med.  2011 Oct;35(5):687-693. 10.5535/arm.2011.35.5.687.

Prediction of Treatment Outcome with Bioimpedance Measurements in Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema Patients

• Kim L
• Jeon JY
• Sung IY
• Jeong SY
• Do JH
• Kim HJ

• KMID: 2267231
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5535/arm.2011.35.5.687

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To investigate the usefulness of bioimpedance measurement for predicting the treatment outcome in breast cancer related lymphedema (BCRL) patients. METHOD: Unilateral BCRL patients who received complex decongestive therapy (CDT) for 2 weeks (5 days per week) were enrolled in this study. We measured the ratio of extracellular fluid (ECF) volume by using bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy (BIS), and single frequency bioimpedance analysis (SFBIA) at a 5 kHz frequency before treatment. Arm circumferences were measured at 10 cm above and below the elbow before and after treatment. We also investigated whether there is correlation between ECF ratio and SFBIA ratio with the change of arm circumference after CDT.
RESULTS
A total of 73 patients were enrolled in this study. The higher ECF ratio was significantly correlated with higher reduction of arm circumference at both above and below the elbow after treatment, but the higher SFBIA ratio was correlated only with the higher reduction of arm circumference below the elbow.
CONCLUSION
These results show that ECF volume measurements and SFBIA before treatment are useful tools for predicting the outcome of patients with lymphedema. We concluded that ECF volume measure can be used as a screening tool for predicting treatment outcome of BCRL patients.

Keyword

Breast cancer related lymphedema; Bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy; Single frequency bioimpedance analysis

MeSH Terms

Arm
Breast
Breast Neoplasms
Elbow
Electric Impedance
Extracellular Fluid
Humans
Lymphedema
Mass Screening
Spectrum Analysis
Treatment Outcome

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Relationship of bioimpedance value with differences of bilateral arm circumference above (A, C) and below the elbow (B, D) (*p<0.05, †p<0.01). ECF: Extracellular fluid, SFBIA: single frequency bioimpedance analysis.

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  Fig. 2 Correlation of bioimpedance value and change of arm circumferences above (A, C) and below elbow (B, D) (*p<0.05, †p<0.01). ECF: Extracellular fluid, SFBIA: single frequency bioimpedance analysis.

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