Sarah A. Mclaughlin, MD

Given the abundance of breast cancer data, this review will focus on breast cancer–related lymphedema. However, the principles and controversies discussed are relevant regardless of the type of malignancy to which the lymphedema is attributed.

The Early Breast Cancer Trialists' Collaborative Group overviews published in 2005 confirm that local control in breast cancer matters, and they highlight that achieving local control in the modern era is not improved simply by more extensive surgery but instead by the combination of surgery, systemic and hormonal chemotherapies, and radiation therapy.[1,2]