ROLE OF SELENIUM IN THE TREATMENT OF SECONDARY LYMPHEDEMA IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS

Secondary lymphedema manifests as a common complication that occurs after treatment for breast cancer and may lead to great impairment in quality of life among patients. Increasing emerging evidence suggests that the pathogenesis of this condition predominantly relies on oxidative stress and persistent inflammation. Curiously enough, the fact that selenium-however, bitter using considerations of public attention due to its uttermost antioxidant and immunomodulatory property, may warrant interest as a potential candidate therapeutic to manage lymphedema. Therefore, this review discusses the possible biological mechanisms by which selenium has ameliorated lymphatic dysfunction in various respects such as prevention from oxidative damage, modulation of inflammatory responses, and prevention from tissue fibrosis. We would summarize essential clinical studies that have trialed the application of selenium supplementation in breast cancer-related lymphedema, provide an appraisal of optimal dosing strategies, and emphasize safety issues. Preliminary findings are indeed very promising, but certain limitations, like small sample sizes and inconsistent methodologies, warrant further research. Integrating selenium within the context of a multimodal management strategy may add another novel adjunctive mode of enhancement toward bettering outcomes in breast cancer survivors with lymphedema.