NICE guideline re oedema

Life after a breast cancer diagnosis Recovering from treatment
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I was perusing the updated NICE guidelines today, and came across this:

 

1.12.3 When informing people with breast cancer about the risk of developing lymphoedema, advise them that:

  • they do not need to restrict their physical activity

  • there is no consistent evidence of increased risk of lymphoedema associated with air travel, travel to hot countries, manicures, hot‑tub use or sports injuries

  • there is no consistent evidence of increased risk of lymphoedema associated with medical procedures (for example, blood tests, injections, intravenous medicines and blood pressure measurement) on the treated side, and the decision to perform medical procedures using the arm on the treated side should depend on clinical need and the possibility of alternatives. [2018]

Thought you’d like to know.  It gets embarassing insisting on searching for a vein in the “good” arm.

 

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Hi Pecan  - thank you for sharing this very useful information!  I too get very embarrased and indeed anxious when I have blood tests as the veins in my “good” arm are not great due to chemo!  I will bring this to the attention of my surgeon when I see him at the end of the month and ask his view.  J x