During and after breast cancer treatment, some people experience shoulder and arm issues like pain, decreased shoulder mobility, muscle weakness, and swelling in the arm related to lymphedema.  

Lymphedema is a build-up of lymph fluid, which is part of the body’s normal immune response. Lymph fluid is normally filtered through lymph nodes located in various parts of the body. Lymph nodes located in the armpits normally work to remove excess fluid from the arms. Breast cancer can interfere with the body’s natural lymph drainage system, and surgical interventions such as mastectomy and lumpectomy often also involve the removal of lymph nodes from one or both armpits. This can lead to lymphedema (swelling) in the arms, as the fluid can’t drain properly.   

It’s important to identify lymphedema early on, as it is easier to treat and manage at an early stage. 

At the Cancer Exercise and Physiotherapy Lab (CEPL), led by Dr. Kristin Campbell at UBC, researchers are finding ways to better support breast cancer patients in managing and reducing lymphedema.  

Arm self-measurement is a tool developed by one of Dr. Campbell’s PhD students (Dr. Bolette Rafn) that can help people who have breast cancer identify early signs of lymphedema or monitor existing lymphedema, both pre- and post-surgery. Arm self-measurement involves measuring the circumference of both arms at five key locations using a special measuring tape. Regularly measuring the circumference of your arms and keeping track of the measurements is helpful for monitoring changes related to lymphedema.