Women cancer survivors at higher risk for problematic leg swelling, study finds

March 9 (UPI) -- Nearly one-third of all women who survive cancer develop swelling in their legs following recovery, a study published Wednesday by JAMA Network Open found.

The condition, called lower extremity lymphedema, is particularly common following cancers of the ovaries, uterus and colon and rectum, the data showed.

In addition to causing disfiguring swelling, lower extremity lymphedema can lead to problems with walking and pain and weaken the immune system, the researchers said.

There is currently no cure for the condition, they said, though liposuction may help, according to earlier studies.

"Older cancer survivors who experience lower extremity lymphedema are at risk for decreases in physical functioning and ability to perform activities of daily living," study co-author Electra Paskett told UPI in an email.

Both "the treatment and the cancer can cause lymphedema, due to blockage or damage to the lymph node circulation," said Paskett, associate director of population sciences and community outreach at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center in Columbus.

In otherwise healthy people, lower extremity lymphedema is rare, with about one in 1,000 people developing the condition, usually as a complication of chronic venous insufficiency, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Chronic venous insufficiency occurs when the veins in the legs do not allow blood to flow back up to the heart, it says.

Lower extremity lymphedema has been linked with gynecologic cancers in particular, and it is a chronic condition that causes swelling, heaviness, pain and discomfort in the legs, Paskett and her colleagues said.

Many women who develop lower extremity lymphedema experience mental health problems due to concerns over their symptoms, Paskett said.

For this study, she and her colleagues assessed 900 older women diagnosed with endometrial, colorectal or ovarian cancer.

Most of the women were in their 70s and 80s, the researchers said.

Among the participants, 292, or 32%, reported lower extremity lymphedema, including 37% of ovarian cancer survivors and 33% of endometrial cancer survivors, the data showed.

Of colorectal cancer survivors, 31% developed lower extremity lymphedema.

Some of the women still had the condition up to eight years after their last cancer treatment, Paskett said.

Women with lower extremity lymphedema in the study were more than twice as likely to report needing assistance with daily activities than those without it, she and her colleagues said.

"Loss of mobility and function is especially concerning for older women," Paskett said.

"Older cancer survivors need to be screened for lower extremity lymphedema and, if there is swelling, they should be promptly referred to physical therapy for treatment," she said.