Edema Control in Patients With Breast Cancer-comparison of Manual Lymph Drainage and Epidermis Fascia Taping

The Effect of Edema Control in Patients With Cancer-comparison of Manual Lymph Drainage and Epidermis Fascia Taping With Ultrasonography

The ultrasound imaging could be used to examine the thickness of dermis and the space between dermis and subcutaneous tissue. Whether the measurement of ultrasound imaging correlate to other measurement of edema is unknown.

The purpose of this study is to investigate

1. The reliability of measurement of edema using ultrasound imaging, and the correlation of measurement of ultrasound with other measurement tools.
2. The different effect of edema control by manual lymph drainage technique and epidermis taping technique, and the cost-effective assessment.

Our hypothesis :

1. The measurement of edema with ultrasound imaging is a reliable method and correlate with other edema measurement with moderate correlation.
2. Ultrasound measurement could demonstrate different effect of manual lymph drainage and epidermis taping, and different cost-effectiveness analysis.

Inclusion criteria:

1. age:20~80 y/o
2. female patients with unilateral breast cancer after surgery
3. unilateral lymph edema ( circumference of affected side 2cm bigger than sound side）
4. do not receive any treatment of lymph edema Exclusion criteria

1. skin problems on affected side 2. neurological sign involved affected side, ex:stroke, brachial plexus impairment 3. involved other diseases may cause extremity edema, ex: heart failure or chronic kidney disease (stage one to stage five) 4. have medicine which may cause extremity edema 5. pregnant