Poster Presentation 2025 National Cancer Survivorship Conference

Incidence and risk factors of cancer-related lymphoedema: a living systematic review with meta-analysis (#93)

Melanie Plinsinga 1 , Brooke Baker 2 , Kira Bloomquist 1 3 , Anna Stiller 2 , Gunn Ammitzbøll 4 , Ben Singh 5 , Debbie Geyer 6 7 , Hildegard Reul-Hirche 1 8 , Louise Koelmeyer 9 , Michael Bernas 10 , Neil Piller 11 , Nele Devoogdt 12 13 , Stanley Rockson 14 , Sandi Hayes 2
  1. School of Health Sciences and Social Work, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
  2. Cancer Council Queensland, Fortitude Valley, Queensland, Australia
  3. Center for Health Research (UCSF), Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
  4. Survivorship and Inequality in Cancer, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
  5. Alliance for Research in Exercise Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
  6. Cremorne Medical Practice, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  7. Lymphoedema Association Australia, Australia
  8. Physiotherapy department, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
  9. Australian Lymphoedema Education, Research & Treatment (ALERT) Program, Faculty of Medicine, Health & Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  10. TCU Burnett School of Medicine, Fort Worth, Texas, United States
  11. School of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
  12. Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
  13. Center for Lymphoedema, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
  14. Center for Lymphatic and Venous Disorders, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States

Background: Alongside the projected increase in cancer incidence over the next decade, comes a corresponding increase in treatment-related burden, including cancer-related lymphoedema. Current understanding of breast cancer-related lymphoedema incidence and risk factors is supported by high-quality studies. However, as treatment continues to evolve so too will incidence and risk. Further, the strength of the evidence outside breast cancer is much more limited.

Aims: To conduct a living systematic review with meta-analysis that can provide the most up-to-date estimates of cancer-related lymphoedema incidence, and to use the collected data to evaluate the strength and consistency of the association between lymphoedema and treatment and non-treatment-related risk factors.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted in June 2024 to identify studies reporting the incidence, prevalence of lymphoedema or associated risk factors in individuals who have undergone treatment for any type of cancer. Two investigators will independently extract data and assess risk of bias. Overall strength of evidence will be appraised with the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations tool. Random effect models will be used to produce pooled overall lymphoedema incidence estimates. Subgroup analyses that explore relationships between lymphoedema incidence and lymphoedema measurement method, time since cancer diagnosis and treatment, and treatment- and non-treatment-related characteristics will be conducted dependent on available data.

Results: This living systematic review is registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022333291). The protocol paper is under review. To date, out of 10,327 studies retrieved from our electronic searches, 6,104 titles and abstracts and 1,728 full texts were screened. Data extraction is underway and preliminary results will be available for presentation at the conference.

Conclusions: This living systematic review will enable clinicians and researchers to consult a contemporary, comprehensive overview of the incidence of cancer-related lymphoedema, and the association between lymphoedema and other treatment and non-treatment-related risk factors.