[Lymphedema in patients treated for breast cancer. A cross-sectional study in the county of Ribe. The need of manual lymph drainage; risk factors].

Over a period of three months circumferences of the upper and lower arm were measured in 334 patients previously treated for breast cancer. Lymphoedema was found in 25 (7.5%) of these patients. The total number of patients with breast cancer who had lymphoedema in one year in Ribe Amt was calculated to 40. As more than one half of the patients only had modest or no subjective symptoms, it is expected that about 20 patients pr. year need manual lymph drainage, and about 20 patients need prophylactic physiotherapy. It was found that the risk for increased circumference of the upper arm was correlated to axillary radiotherapy and the total number of lymph nodes removed from the axilla. The risk of increased circumference of the lower arm was correlated to chemotherapy.