Breast cancer related lymphedema and shoulder mobility following radiotherapy

Jarm, Tamara (author), Bešić, Nikola (author), Cencelj-Arnež, Romi (author), But-Hadžić, Jasna (author), Ratoša, Ivica (author)

Purpose Lymphedema of the arm and reduced shoulder mobility are common complications of breast cancer treatment. We aim to establish whether the radiation dose received by the area of the axillary lateral thoracic artery vessel juncture (ALTJ) and the shoulder joint—affect the development of the mentioned side effects. Methods In this retrospective study, 298 patients with early breast cancer treated surgically and with adjuvant radiation therapy, were included. Clinical data from the prospective database were used. Physiotherapists evaluated lymphedema and shoulder mobility at diagnosis, 6 and 12 months afterwards. The ALTJ, humeral head, and humeral head with a safety margin were delineated on a CT scan, and irradiation parameters were obtained from dose-volume histograms. Results Multivariate analysis confirmed a correlation between higher mean (Dmean) and near-minimum (D98) radiation doses received by ALTJ and the incidence of lymphedema 12 months post-diagnosis (p = 0.016 and p = 0.002, respectively). No significant association was found between the radiation dose to the humeral head and reduced mobility. Conclusion In our cohort of patients, irradiation of the ALTJ region is associated with the occurrence of clinically-assessed lymphedema, while irradiation of the humeral head is not linked to limited mobility of the shoulder after breast cancer treatment.

• Language: English
• Keywords: axillary lateral thoracic artery, breast cancer, lymphedema, reduced shoulder mobility
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 187–195
• Numbering: Vol. 202, iss. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-181066
• UDC: 618.1
• ISSN on article: 0179-7158
• DOI: 10.1007/s00066-025-02482-0
• COBISS.SI-ID: 255699459
• Publication date in RUL: 24.03.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Strahlentherapie und Onkologie
• Shortened title: Strahlenther. Onkol.
• Publisher: Springer Nature
• ISSN: 0179-7158
• COBISS.SI-ID: 5277191

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: aksilarna torakalna arterija, rak dojke, limfedem