Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema Assessed via Tissue Dielectric Constant Measurements

Abstract

This review describes the use of tissue dielectric constant (TDC) measurements mainly in the assessment of breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases were initially searched using criteria that included the terms “dielectric” and “lymphedema.” The initial search yielded a total of 131 titles. After removing studies not focused on upper extremity lymphedema, 56 articles remained. These articles, together with relevant articles from their bibliographies, formed the basis of the review. The findings show the potential utility and applications of TDC measurements to help detect and track BCRL, whether present in limbs, breasts, or trunks. It is reported as a non-invasive, simple-to-use method, with each measurement requiring less than 10 seconds, suggesting its practicality and useability as an in-office or in-clinic screening and tracking method. Although there are various ways to quantitatively evaluate lymphedema, most, if not all, are restricted to measurements on limbs. Thus, one significant advantage of the TDC approach is that almost any local region of interest can be effectively measured and tracked, which, for BCRL, could include specific regions of arms or hands, breasts, and truncal areas.

Intra‐day variations in volar forearm skin hydration

“…Skin hydration measurements are used in skin research to uncover basic features of skin physiology, 1 to clinically assess features of relevant dermatological issues such as atopic dermatitis, 2 , 3 , 4 psoriasis, 5 , 6 ichthyosis 7 and wound healing 8 , 9 , 10 and also to assess localized skin water relevant to other pathologies including those present in diabetes mellitus 11 , 12 , 13 and breast cancer related lymphedema. 14 , 15 , 16 Often the volar forearm is the target of such measurements. 17 , 18 , 19 Because these measurements can often be made at different times during the day, it would be useful to have an estimate of how much variability to expect when skin hydration values are obtained at differing times.…”