The treatment efficacy of complete decongestive therapy for breast cancer-related lymphedema from the perspective of skin mechanical properties: a case study

[Purpose] To quantitatively assess skin mechanical properties in a case of breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) and examine their clinical utility. [Participant and Methods] A 69-year-old female was diagnosed with BCRL of the left upper extremity. In this case, the patient was admitted to our institute for two weeks of intensive lymphedema drainage. Complex decongestive therapy (CDT), the standard treatment for lymphedema, was administered during hospitalization. Pre-intervention and at one- and two-weeks post-intervention, circumferential diameter, motor function, and quality of life of the affected extremity were measured, along with skin mechanical properties using a skin elasticity meter. [Results] Skin mechanical properties on the affected side before intervention were inferior to those of the unaffected side. During inpatient CDT, in addition to reductions in limb circumference and improvements in motor function and quality of life, all three parameters of skin mechanical properties also improved. [Conclusion] These findings suggest that measuring skin mechanical properties using a skin elasticity meter provides a useful quantitative assessment for longitudinal evaluation in BCRL.