Clinical trial NCT05441943: Lymphaticovenous Anastomosis as Treatment for Lymphedema
Official title: Lymphaticovenous Anastomosis as a Surgical Treatment for Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Breast Cancer Lymphedema
Secondary Lymphedema
Iatrogenic Lymphedema
Lymphedema
Lymphedema of Upper Limb
Lymphedema Arm
Lymphedema, Breast Cancer
Breast Neoplasm
Neoplasms
Breast Cancer
Breast Diseases
Lymphatic Diseases
Skin Diseases
Postoperative Complications
Pathologic Processes
Anastomose
Surgery
Surgical; Lymphedema, Postmastectomy
Postmastectomy Lymphedema
Postmastectomy Lymphedema Syndrome Left Upper Limb
Postmastectomy Lymphedema Syndrome Right Upper Limb
Postmastectomy Lymphedema Syndrome
Keywords: Lymphedema
Breast Cancer
Postmastectomy Lymphedema
Lymphoedema
Breast Cancer Lymphedema
Anastomose
Lymphovenous anastomosis
LVA
Surgery
Breast Neoplasm
Lead sponsor: Odense University Hospital
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Danish Cancer Society
First posted: 2022-07-01
Enrollment: 10
Sex: FEMALE
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The primary aim of this study is to investigate and test whether the use of combined indocyanine green (ICG) lymphography and ultra high frequency ultrasonography can correctly identify lymphatic vessels and venoles in close proximity to each other, for identification prior to lymphovenous anastomosis (LVA) surgery.

Detailed description: BACKGROUND

Breast-cancer related lymphedema is a life-disabling side-effect of breast cancer treatment, affecting more than 1 in every 5 patients. With breast-cancer being the most common cancer diagnosis in women, affecting up to 2.3 million new cases globally, and with a generally high survival rate of 80% or higher in developed countries, the number of breast-cancer survivors with long-term sequela is significant. Compression garments have been considered the standard treatment and rehabilitation for lymphedema. Some of the disadvantages with these treatments include variability in patient compliance, clinical effect and lack of statistical significant results. Therefore, the rehabilitation and treatment options for lymphedema are in high demand, affecting patients physical and mental health.

Lymphovenous anastomosis (LVA) surgery is an attempt to re-establish the lymphatic flow, utilizing the patient's own lymphatic- and venous vessels. Surgical treatment seems effective in selective patient groups, but systematic studies for this are lacking. It is based on this lack of knowledge of patient characteristics and preoperative planning that the project's hypothesis and idea was formed.

Indocyanine green (ICG) lymphography is commonly used for identification of lymphatic vessels pre-operatively, and is considered superior to other modalities. However, until recently, the identification of adjacent venoles has remained a challenge. Ultra high frequency ultrasound may have solved the challenge of identifying the small venoles prior to surgery. The combined use of ICG lymphography and ultra high frequency ultrasound may be the key to optimise patient selection and pre-operative planning of lymphovenous anastomosis surgery.

METHOD

This study is designed as a pilot study with a planned inclusion of 10 patients with a 3 months follow-up period.

The inclusion of patients, the surgical procedure and 3 months follow-up evaluation will take place at the Department of Plastic Surgery Odense University Hospital (OUH), Denmark.

The ICG lymphography is performed by injecting ICG subcutaneously, and used for visualization of the superficial lymphatics for preoperative planning. During real-time visualization, lymphatic vessels are drawn up on the patients arm using a permanent marker.

Ultra high frequency ultrasound (\>30MHz) has the ability to visualize small, superficial anatomical layers. Using this ultra high frequency ultrasound (70MHz), following the mapped lymphatic vessels, venous vessels are found nearby and likewise mapped for anastomosis.

The number of LVA anastomosis sites is set to a minimum of two sites per extremity. The number of mapped lymphatics vessels and venoles are compared to the number identified during surgery and recorded.

Prior to and 3 months after surgery, patients are seen for objective measures of upper extremity volume, body composition, L-Dex score of the affected arm and health-related quality-of-life, in addition to ICG lymphography.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Female
* Iatrogenic lymphedema following treatment for breast cancer in upper extremity
* Possible to obtain informed consent
* Age\>18

Exclusion Criteria:

* Duration of disease over 24 months
* Smoker
* Untreated or uncontrolled primary cancer
* No applicable lymphatic vessels identified, using ICG lymphangiography
* No applicable venous vessels identified using ultra high frequency ultrasound

Primary outcomes:
measure: Number of vessels planned for surgery surgery
timeFrame: Preoperative
measure: Number of vessels found during surgery
timeFrame: Perioprative
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Changes of arm volume
timeFrame: Baseline and 3 months follow-up
measure: Change of extracellular fluid (liters) relative to total body water (liters), measured in percentage.
timeFrame: Baseline and 3 months follow-up
measure: Changes of intracellular fluid (liters) relative to total body water (liters), measured in percentage.
timeFrame: Baseline and 3 months follow-up
measure: Changes of total body water (liters) relative to weight (kg), measured in percentage.
timeFrame: Baseline and 3 months follow-up
measure: Changes of proteins and minerals (kg) relative to weight (kg), measured in percentage.
timeFrame: Baseline and 3 months follow-up
measure: Changes of fat mass (kg) relative to weight (kg), measured in percentage.
timeFrame: Baseline and 3 months follow-up
measure: Changes in active tissue mass (kg) relative to weight (kg), measured in percentage.
timeFrame: Baseline and 3 months follow-up
measure: Changes of skeletal muscle mass (kg) relative to weight (kg), measured in percentage.
timeFrame: Baseline and 3 months follow-up
measure: Changes in L-Dex score
timeFrame: Baseline and 3 months follow-up
measure: Changes in health-related quality-of-life measured by the LYMPH-Q questionnaire
timeFrame: Baseline and 3 months follow-up
measure: Changes of lymphatic flow pattern before and after surgery by ICG lymphangiography
timeFrame: Baseline and 3 months follow-up
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Odense
country: Denmark
facility: Department of Plastic Surgery, Odense University Hospital
state: Region Of Southern Denmark
Study officials:
affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery at Odense University Hospital
name: Caroline Lilja, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery at Odense University Hospital
name: Jens Ahm Sørensen, MD, Prof, PhD
role: STUDY_CHAIR
affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery at Odense University Hospital
name: Jørn Bo Thomsen, MD, Prof, PhD
role: STUDY_CHAIR
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