Retrospective analysis of patient-reported persistent lymphedema and peripheral neuropathy among long-term survivors in the Carolina Breast Cancer Study

Improved breast cancer treatmen has lengthened survival but also has long-term impacts. Retrospective analysis of the Carolina Breast Cancer Study included 1688 survivors with an average of 11.1 ± 0.6 years postdiagnosis. Prevalence of persistent lymphema, peripheral neuropathy, and their co-occurrence as 18.7%, 27.7%, and 8.8%, respectively. Lymphedema was more prevalent among those receiving a mastectomy and with ≥5 lymph nodes removed, whereas peripheral neuropathy was more prevalent after taxane-based chemotherapy. Co-occurrence was higher after removement of ≥ 5 lymph nodes and taxane-based chemotherapy. The burden of lymphedema (prevalence difference 2.7; 95% CI 0.9-6.3) and peripheral neuropathy (5.8; 1.7-9.9) was higher among Black than White women, and nonsignificantly higher among younger than among older women. The authors conclude that lymphedema and peripheral neuropathy affect a substantial proportion of breast cancer survivors.