TREATMENT OF SECONDARY LYMPHEDEMA OF THE UPPER-LIMB WITH CYCLO-3-FORT

Fifty seven patients with secondary lymphedema of the upper limb after previous treatment for breast cancer were treated for 3 months with a n extract of Ruscus + Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone (CYCLO 3 FORT) dr pla cebo according to a double-blind protocol in the context of a controll ed clinical trial. All patients also underwent manual lymphatic draina ge twice a week for at feast one month. With CYCLO 3 FORT, the reducti on in volume of arm edema, the main assessment criteria, was 12.9% aft er 3 months of treatment as compared with a placebo (p=0.009). Decreas ed edema tended to be more marked in the forearm compared with the upp er arm where excess fat deposition seemed to dominate over excess flui d accumulation. CYCLO 3 FORT was well tolerated with minimal adverse r eaction.