Key Points for This Section

The goal of treatment is to control the swelling and other problems caused by lymphedema. Treatment of lymphedema may include the following: Exercise Pressure garments Bandages Massage therapy Skin care Combined therapy Compression device Weight loss Laser therapy Drug therapy Surgery When lymphedema is severe and does not get better with treatment, other problems may be the cause.

The goal of treatment is to control the swelling and other problems caused by lymphedema.

Damage to the lymph system cannot be repaired. Treatment is given to control the swelling caused by lymphedema and keep other problems from developing or getting worse. Physical (non- drug) therapies are the standard treatment. Treatment may be a combination of several of the physical methods. The goal of these treatments is to help patients continue with activities of daily living, to decrease pain, and to improve the ability to move and use the limb (arm or leg) with lymphedema. Drugs are not usually used for long-term treatment of lymphedema.

Treatment of lymphedema may include the following:

Exercise

Both light exercise and aerobic exercise (physical activity that causes the heart and lungs to work harder) may help the lymph vessels move lymph out of the affected limb and decrease swelling.

Pressure garments

Pressure garments are made of fabric that puts a controlled amount of pressure on different parts of the arm or leg to help move fluid and keep it from building up. Some patients may need to have these garments custom-made for a correct fit. Wearing a compression sleeve during exercise may help prevent more swelling in an affected limb. It is important to use pressure garments during air travel, because lymphedema can become worse at high altitudes. Pressure garments are also called compression sleeves and lymphedema sleeves or stockings.

Bandages

Once the lymph fluid is moved out of a swollen limb, bandaging (wrapping) can help prevent the area from refilling with fluid. Bandages also increase the ability of the lymph vessels to move lymph along. Lymphedema that has not improved with other treatments is sometimes helped with bandaging.

Massage therapy

Massage therapy (manual therapy) for lymphedema is a treatment in which the soft tissues of the body are lightly kneaded, rubbed, tapped, and stroked. Massage may help move lymph out of the swollen area into an area with working lymph vessels.

Massage therapy is usually not used in patients who had radiation therapy to the area with lymphedema or who have any of the following conditions:

• Cellulitis (infection of the deep tissues of the skin and muscle) or other inflammation of the swollen limb.
• Cancer remaining in the area with lymphedema.
• Deep vein thrombosis (blood clot in a vein).
• Congestive heart failure (weakness of the heart muscle, which leads to a build-up of fluid in body tissues).

Skin care

The goal of skin care is to prevent infection and to keep skin from drying and cracking. See skin care tips, in the Managing Lymphedema section.

Combined therapy

Combined physical therapy is a program of massage, bandaging, exercises, and skin care managed by a trained therapist. At the beginning of the program, the therapist gives many treatments over a short time to decrease most of the swelling in the limb with lymphedema. Then the patient continues the program at home to keep the swelling down. Combined therapy is also called complex decongestive therapy.

Compression device

Compression devices are pumps connected to a sleeve that wraps around the arm or leg and applies pressure on and off. The sleeve is inflated and deflated on a timed cycle. This pumping action may help move fluid through lymph vessels and veins and keep fluid from building up in the arm or leg. Compression devices may be helpful when added to combined therapy. The use of these devices should be supervised by a trained professional because too much pressure can damage lymph vessels near the surface of the skin.

Weight loss

In patients who are overweight, lymphedema may improve with weight loss.

Laser therapy

Laser therapy may help decrease lymphedema swelling and skin hardness after a mastectomy. A hand-held, battery-powered device is used to aim low-level laser beams at the area with lymphedema.

Drug therapy

Lymphedema is not usually treated with drugs. Antibiotics may be used to treat and prevent infections. Other types of drugs, such as diuretics or anticoagulants (blood thinners), are usually not helpful and may make the lymphedema worse.

Surgery

Lymphedema caused by cancer is rarely treated with surgery.

When lymphedema is severe and does not get better with treatment, other problems may be the cause.

Sometimes severe lymphedema does not get better with treatment or it develops several years after surgery. If there is no known reason, doctors will try to find out if the problem is something other than the original cancer or cancer treatment, such as another tumor.

Lymphangiosarcoma is a rare, fast-growing cancer of the lymph vessels. It is a problem that occurs in some breast cancer patients and appears an average of 10 years after a mastectomy. Lymphangiosarcoma begins as purple lesions on the skin, which may be flat or raised. A CT scan or MRI is used to check for lymphangiosarcoma. Lymphangiosarcoma usually cannot be cured.

Back to Top

< Previous Section  |  Next Section >