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Lymphedema After Surgery for Cancer

The Role of Patient Support Groups in Patient Therapy

  • Review Article
  • Published:
Disease Management & Health Outcomes

Abstract

Lymphedema remains a relatively common, and often under-recognized, complication of breast cancer therapy. When present, arm edema can engender significant morbidity and psychological distress in survivors of breast cancer. Therapeutic approaches to post-mastectomy lymphedema further compromise mental health because of the unrelenting demands on patient time and energies. It is proposed that psychoeducational interventions, including supportive group therapy, would be helpful. Although formal outcomes studies are lacking, extrapolation from studies of more broadly defined groups of people surviving cancer suggest that this approach might be useful to further acceptance of preventive strategies, diminish social isolation, and provide more effective coping skills.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stanford Center for Lymphatic and Venous Disorders, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA

    Stanley G. Rockson (Associate Professor, Director)

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  1. Stanley G. Rockson
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Correspondence to Stanley G. Rockson.

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Rockson, S.G. Lymphedema After Surgery for Cancer. Dis-Manage-Health-Outcomes 10, 345–347 (2002). https://doi.org/10.2165/00115677-200210060-00003

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00115677-200210060-00003

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