Lymphedema is one of the most common long-term effects of breast cancer treatment. It can show up months or even years later. Knowing how common it is, and the full range of treatments, helps patients act early and helps therapists plan care. For early warning signs, see Breast Cancer and Lymphedema: What to Watch For and What Helps.
How common is it?
Estimates vary with how lymphedema is measured and how long patients are followed. A large 2022 review of 84 studies covering more than 58,000 patients found that about 1 in 5 people (21.9%) developed lymphedema after breast cancer treatment. The risk depends a lot on the treatment:
Sentinel lymph node biopsy (a few nodes removed): roughly 6%.
Axillary lymph node dissection (many nodes removed): roughly 24%, about four times the risk.
Axillary dissection plus radiation to the lymph nodes: higher still, around 30–40% in some studies.
Other factors that raise the risk include a higher body mass index, weight gain after treatment, mastectomy rather than lumpectomy, chemotherapy, more advanced cancer stage, and complications after surgery.
Where swelling shows up
Most people think of the arm, but breast cancer–related lymphedema can also affect the hand, the breast, the chest wall, the back and the side of the trunk. Truncal and breast swelling is easy to miss and often goes untreated.
Treatment options
Early detection and risk reduction
Major cancer organizations recommend measuring the arm before surgery and at regular follow-ups, so swelling can be caught when it's mild and easiest to reverse.
Staying active, managing weight and caring for the skin all help.
Complete decongestive therapy (CDT)
CDT is the standard of care, delivered by a certified lymphedema therapist. It combines manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), compression bandaging, exercise and skin care in an intensive phase, then moves the patient to self-care with garments.
Compression garments
Arm sleeves and gauntlets or gloves, ready-to-wear or custom flat knit, in a range of colors and prints.
Compression bras and vests for breast and chest-wall swelling.
Night garments, such as padded foam sleeves, to control swelling overnight.
Adjustable wraps for patients who find sleeves hard to pull on, or whose swelling changes.
Pneumatic compression pumps
A home compression pump can be added when swelling doesn't improve enough with conservative care. For breast cancer patients, truncal treatment matters. BioCompression's BioVest treats the chest and trunk along with the arm. With the SC-4008 pump, it follows an MLD-style sequence: it clears the trunk and proximal areas first, then moves fluid from distal to proximal. BioCompression also offers wraps, night garments and arm sleeves in solids and prints. See Compression Pumps.
Surgical options
For selected patients, surgeons may offer lymphatic-venous anastomosis, lymph node transfer, or liposuction for long-standing swelling that has become mostly fatty tissue. These are usually considered after conservative care, and patients still wear compression afterward.
For therapists
Check the trunk and breast as well as the arm, and document truncal involvement if it's present.
Postmastectomy lymphedema is coded I97.2. Make sure the treating provider's own note documents the diagnosis; see the 2026 documentation requirement.
Pair the daytime sleeve and gauntlet with a night option for patients with overnight rebound.
We can help
Midwest Compression fits sleeves, gauntlets, bras, vests and night garments, and supplies home pumps including the BioVest system. Call 800-883-1549 to ask a question, or book a fitting.
Sources: Risk factors of unilateral breast cancer-related lymphedema: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of 84 cohort studies (Supportive Care in Cancer, 2022); Breast Cancer–Related Lymphedema: Risk Factors, Screening, Management (J Clin Oncol, 2020); Lymphoedema: a current real world prospective evaluation (The Surgeon, 2025).
This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk with your care team about your own risk and treatment.
