What to Do About Lymphedema After Cancer Surgery
By Robert Rister
Lymphedema is a condition of swelling resulting from the accumulation of fluid. Lymph canals, just like blood vessels, run all through the body. When a lymph node is removed in cancer surgery, the flow of lymph can be interrupted. Lymph, proteins, and other substances can build up where they can no longer flow.
It’s natural to wonder if cancer causes lymphedema. Actually, it’s surgery for cancer that’s the cause. Any surgery for cancer involving dissection of the lymph nodes can result in the chronic swelling of the arms or legs. Radiation of the lymph nodes can also result in the condition. When a lymph node is removed, circulation is interrupted. Lymph can leak out into surrounding tissues and cause them to become bloated.
Surgery for cervical, pancreatic, or uterine cancer or melanoma can result in swelling in the legs. Surgery for prostate cancer can also cause swelling in the legs, or the massive enlargement of the scrotum known as hydrocele. And 2 out of 5 mastectomies for breast cancer cause lymphedema in the arm nearest the breast that was removed. It is not unusual for the affected arm to swell to several times its normal size. The onset lymphedema can occur immediately after surgery, or up to 30 years later.
How can you recognize the onset of lymphedema? Here are some common symptoms:
- A feeling of heaviness or fullness in the arm, leg, or, in men, the scrotum
- Tightness under rings, watch bands, socks, stockings, or underwear
- Visible swelling, redness, or inflammation
Until about 1975, doctors used to recommend “vitamins” as a treatment for lymphedema. At that time, the common recommendation was for the mysterious “vitamin P,” which is no longer referenced in the scientific literature. This vitamin, however, turns out to be a combination of the rutin, flavones, flavols, and asculetin found in fresh fruits and vegetables. Any treatment plan for lymphedema benefits from the addition of 5 or more servings of plant foods to the daily diet.
By far, the best nutritional intervention for lymphedema is enzymes. Studies at a cancer clinic in Austria have found that a majority of women taking a combination product called Wobenzym begin to experience relief from swelling in about 2 months.
Lymphedema in the legs may be relieved by sweet clover ointments. Be sure to test just a dab of the cream on a very small area of skin first to make sure you do not have an allergic reaction to it, and never apply to inflamed, infected, or injured skin. Sweet clover is typically applied only to the legs to be absolutely sure it does not interfere with normal clotting factors. These are not, of course, the only products that relieve lymphedema.
If you simply cannot afford another supplement right now, then you can get some relief from regular servings of pineapple and papaya. These two fruits offer bromelain and papain, two of the enzymes often used to treat cancer complications. The fruit must be eaten raw, not cooked, and it’s important that you not any part of the peel of the papaya to avoid mouth irritation from the white latex. Do not eat these fruits if you are allergic to them.
All people with lymphedema should avoid foods with long-chain triglycerides, any kind of fat that remains solid at room temperature, such as lard, butter, or shortening. And it is also important to avoid extreme low-protein diets (which are never a good idea for cancer recovery). The swelling in lymphedema is caused by proteins blocking the normal flow of fluid in the limbs, but a low-protein diet will increase, not decrease, overall swelling and pain.
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