Ml. Newman et al., LYMPHEDEMA COMPLICATED BY PAIN AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS - A CASE WITH COMPLEX TREATMENT NEEDS, Journal of pain and symptom management, 12(6), 1996, pp. 376-379
One complication of breast cancer treatment is lymphedema of the ipsil
ateral arm. The one-third of lymphedema patients who experience pain r
eport more functional interference, psychiatric symptoms, and distress
related to intrusive and avoidant thoughts than patients without pain
. Lymphedema patients with pain also report higher levels of body imag
e disturbance and decreased sexual drive. We present a case example il
lustrating how pain can undermine rehabilitative efforts and detract f
rom quality of life. In addition, the most common causes of pain in pa
tients with upper extremity lymphedema are discussed. Pain related to
lymphedema is a neglected aspect of this often overlooked problem in b
reast cancer survivorship. (C) U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee, 1996
.