Secondary lymphedema of the arm following primary therapy of breast carcinoma.

1107 cases of lymphedema of the ipsilateral arm (27%) were found in 4011 female breast cancer patients suffered from 4101 breast cancer, seen in the Bad Trissl hospital between 1972 and 1990. The right arm was affected in 47.5%, the left in 52.5%. Primary treatment had consisted of operation alone in 1630 patients with a consecutive rate of edema of 20.3%. Additional irradiation increased this rate up to 31.4% (n = 2471). The rate of edema …