Effect of photodynamic therapy on the quality of life of patients with postoperative lymphorhea

Abstract

According to a number of authors, the incidence of lymphorrhea after surgical treatment of breast cancer reaches 100%. In recent years, new methods of treating postoperative lymphorrhea have begun to appear, including the use of photodynamic therapy (PDT).Purpose of the study: to determine the possibility of using photodynamic therapy in the treatment of postoperative lymphorrhea and to evaluate its impact on the quality of life of patients.Material and methods. A prospective study involving 40 people was conducted. In 20 patients, photodynamic therapy was used in the treatment of postoperative lymphorrhea (main group), in 20 patients, punctures and pressure bandages were used (comparison group). Quality of life was assessed based on the data of the SF-36 questionnaire before the start of treatment, after 3 and 6 months. After 1 year, the condition of all patients was also assessed to identify signs of lymphostasis.Results. In the main group, in patients who underwent photodynamic therapy, lymphorrhea was completely stopped by the end of the third week. In patients from the comparison group at the same time, the volume of daily lymphorrhea was (41.4 ± 0.3) ml. A statistically significant difference was found between the indicators of the physical component of health in patients of the two groups 3 months after the start of treatment: role functioning associated with the physical component, pain intensity, general health and vitality. At the same time, the use of photodynamic therapy did not increase the risk of developing lymphostasis of the upper limb.Conclusion. The study showed that the use of photodynamic therapy in the treatment of postoperative lymphorrhea can reduce the amount of lymph loss, reduce the time of outpatient treatment, and also improve the quality of life of patients, while not increasing the risk of developing lymphostasis of the upper limb.