Selenium in the treatment of radiation-associated secondary lymphedema

Abstract

Purpose The aim of this explorative study was to evaluate the impact of selenium in the treatment of lymphedema after radiotherapy. Methods and materials Between June 1996 and June 2001, 12 patients with edema of the arm and 36 patients with edema of the head-and-neck region were treated with selenium for therapy-related lymphedema. Of these 36 patients, 20 had interstitial endolaryngeal edema associated with stridor and dyspnea. All patients received sodium selenite over 4 to 6 weeks. Results Self-assessment using a visual analog scale ( n = 48) showed a reduction of 4.3 points when comparing pre- and posttreatment values ( p < 0.05). Of 20 patients with endolaryngeal edema, 13 underwent no tracheostomy, 5 underwent a temporary tracheostomy, and only 2 underwent a permanent tracheostomy. Ten of 12 patients with arm edema showed a circumference reduction of the edematous limb and improvement in the Skin-Fold Index by 23.3 points. An improvement of one stage or more was shown by the Földi or the Miller score ( n = 28) in 22 (Földi score) and in 24 (Miller score) patients. Conclusion Treatment with sodium selenite is well tolerated and easy to deliver. Additionally, our results suggest that sodium selenite has a positive effect on secondary-developing lymphedema caused by radiation therapy alone or by irradiation after surgery.