Lymphedema with Severe Swelling Most Common in Women in Their 50s... "Special Care Needed for Breast Cancer Surgery Patients"

▲National Health Insurance Service

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] As the number of patients with 'lymphedema,' a condition characterized by swelling, increases, it has been found that women in their 50s constitute the largest group of patients in South Korea. Additionally, about half of the patients who have undergone breast cancer surgery are diagnosed with lymphedema, and among them, two-thirds are early-onset lymphedema patients who develop the condition within three years after surgery, indicating the need for special attention to this group.

The National Health Insurance Service (Director Kang Do-tae) announced the status of health insurance treatment for 'lymphedema' using health insurance medical data from 2016 to 2020.

According to the survey results, in 2020, women in their 50s accounted for the highest proportion of lymphedema patients at 22.5% (4,726 people), followed by those in their 60s and 40s at 21.0% (4,418 people) and 18.9% (3,976 people), respectively.

Among men, patients in their 70s were the most common at 25.7% (1,817 people), followed by those in their 60s at 21.2% (1,499 people) and those aged 80 and above at 19.4% (1,369 people).

The number of lymphedema patients in 2016 was 18,882, showing an average annual increase rate of 10.5%. Among men, the number increased from 4,726 in 2016 to 7,063 in 2020, a 49.4% rise, while among women, it increased from 14,156 to 21,046 during the same period, a 48.7% increase.

Lymphedema is a chronic disease in which lymph fluid abnormally accumulates in the interstitial (between cells) spaces. A representative symptom is pitting edema, where pressing the skin with a finger causes a depression that disappears after a few seconds. This usually occurs in the early stages of lymphedema, while in the late stages, non-pitting edema, which is a hard swelling, develops. Other symptoms include aching pain, heat sensation, skin redness, and inflammation.

To prevent lymphedema, care should be taken to avoid injuries to the swollen area, and injections, blood draws, or blood pressure measurements should be avoided in that area. Since obesity is a risk factor, weight management is necessary, hot saunas should be avoided, and compression stockings should be worn.

Professor Song Jun-ho of the Department of Plastic Surgery at National Health Insurance Ilsan Hospital said, "In South Korea, female lymphedema patients are mostly breast cancer patients," adding, "Since breast cancer incidence is high among women in their 40s and 50s, special attention is required for breast cancer patients in these age groups."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.