Aetiology of secondary lymphoedema of oncologic origin

Malignancies are among the major reasons for secondary lymphoedema. On the one side, the tumour itself con induce the lymphoedema or, on the other side, the applied therapy. The most important malignancies- in descending order of the absolute incidence of lymphoedema - are tumours of the (female) breast, the prostate, the skin (melanoma), the ovaries and the bladder. Of course, several other malignancies can also induce lymphoedema, either directly or indirectly. It is evident that the incidence is directly coupled with the radicalism of the therapy applied; nevertheless, data dealing with the relation of the severity of the lymphoedema and the therapy are missing. With increasing survival rates the prevalence of lymphoedema-patients with physical and/or psychical complains and restrictions within their professional and even their private life is rising.