Model-Based Patterns of Lymphedema Symptomatology: Phenotypic and Biomarker Characterization.
Mei R Fu, Bradley E Aouizerat, Gary Yu, Yvette Conley, Deborah Axelrod, Amber A Guth, Jean-Pierre Gagner, Jeanna M Qiu, David Zagzag
Author Information
Mei R Fu: William F. Connell School of Nursing, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA. ORCID
Bradley E Aouizerat: Bluestone Center for Clinical Research, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Dentistry, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
Gary Yu: Rory Meyers College of Nursing, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
Yvette Conley: School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Deborah Axelrod: Department of Surgery, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Amber A Guth: Department of Surgery, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Jean-Pierre Gagner: Department of Pathology, Microvascular and Molecular Neuro-Oncology Laboratory, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA.
Jeanna M Qiu: Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
David Zagzag: Division of Neuropathology and Department of Neurosurgery, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: More than 50% of breast cancer survivors without a diagnosis of lymphedema suffer daily from numerous and co-occurring lymphedema symptoms. This study aimed to identify lymphedema symptom patterns and the association of such patterns with phenotypic characteristics and biomarkers using latent class analysis (LCA). A prospective, descriptive, and repeated-measure design was used to enroll 140 women and collect data. RECENT FINDINGS: LCA identified three distinct lymphedema symptom classes at 8 weeks and 12 months post-surgery: low, moderate, and severe symptom classes and associated phenotypic characteristics. Participants were more likely to be in the severe symptom classes at 12 months post-surgery if they had lower education level, cording, an axillary syndrome at 8 weeks post-surgery, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and radiation. SUMMARY: Pre-surgery level of IL1-a, IL-6, IL-8, and VEGF was associated with the severe symptom class at 8 weeks post-surgery, suggesting that such biomarkers may be used to predict risk for lymphedema symptoms.
