Question

Disease Summary Question 3. Briefly describe the pathophysiology of edema of the ipsilateral arm in a patient with breast cancer. Please provide references in APA format

Answer 1

Arm edema after breast cancer surgery and radiation therapy is one of these sequelae. Arm edema in the breast cancer patient is caused by interruption of the axillary lymphatic system by surgery or radiation therapy, which results in the accumulation of fluid in subcutaneous tissue in the arm, with decreased distensibility of tissue around the joints and increased weight of the extremity.Chronic inflammatory changes result in both subcutaneous and lymph vessel fibrosis.