Abstract
It is estimated that one in every six patients undergoing solid cancer treatment will develop secondary lymphedema. We conducted a systematic review of publications assessing the potential use of pharmacotherapy agents in lymphedema treatment. The search was conducted on PubMed and eligibility criteria excluded papers that investigated other therapies or focused on primary lymphedema. From 285 potential papers found in the literature, seven studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria. Different types of therapies were proposed, but all of them interfered with inflammation in the lymphedema tissue. Interestingly, the majority of publications were clinical, and three authors conducted randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded clinical studies. Promising results were observed for the oral administration of ketoprofen or selenium and topical tacrolimus. Pharmacotherapy agents were successfully described in lymphedema treatment in clinical and experimental studies. The benefits of delivering ketoprofen, selenium, or tacrolimus in lymphedema were noticed, and these therapies were easily delivered and well-tolerated.
Highlights
BackgroundIt is estimated that one in every six patients with solid cancer will develop lymphedema
We conducted a systematic review of publications assessing the potential use of pharmacotherapy agents in lymphedema treatment
While searching for therapies to alleviate or potentially cure lymphedema, authors have proposed the utilization of agents that modulate tissue inflammation, fibrosis, and lymphangiogenesis
Summary
BackgroundIt is estimated that one in every six patients with solid cancer will develop lymphedema. In the United States alone, five to six million people are affected [1]. It is well-accepted by the scientific community that fibrosis and inflammation play a primary role in lymphedema physiopathology [2,3,4]. While searching for therapies to alleviate or potentially cure lymphedema, authors have proposed the utilization of agents that modulate tissue inflammation, fibrosis, and lymphangiogenesis. Outcomes in lymphedema treatment are still unpredictable, bringing attention to the investigation of new therapies that could be and effectively translated to patients [7]. We conducted a systematic review of literature on the use of pharmacotherapy agents in lymphedema treatment
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