Breast cancer-related upper limb lymphoedema: on overview

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK and carries a lifetime risk of one-in-seven for women. In the UK in 2017, 55 090 people (54 700 women and 390 men) were diagnosed with breast cancer, and nearly a quarter of new cases are reported in people over the age of 75 years.¹ With such a high incidence and an 85% survival rate in 5 years, there is an ever-growing number of breast cancer survivors.¹ However, there are consequences of improving breast cancer treatments and longer term survivorship, including the risk and development of breast cancer-related lymphoedema (BCRL) (Table 1). This article provides an overview of BCRL, including the risk factors and clinical practice implications for community nurses.