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Axillary Reverse Mapping (ARM) as a Means to Reduce Lymphedema During Sentinel Lymph Node or Axillary Node Dissection

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Personalized Treatment of Breast Cancer

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Abstract

Our group has hypothesized that variations in the anatomical location of the arm lymphatic drainage system within the axilla put the arm lymphatics at risk for disruption during an SLNB and/or ALND. Therefore, mapping and protecting the drainage of the arm versus that of the breast within the axilla by split mapping using blue dye to identify and protect the lymphatics draining from the arm (axillary reverse mapping (ARM)) and radioactivity to map those draining from the breast would decrease the likelihood of inadvertent disruption during lymphadenectomy. Mapping and sparing the lymphatics draining the arm during SLNB or ALND decrease the subsequent development of lymphedema as compared to SLN mapping alone.

Supported by a grant from the Arkansas Breast Cancer Research Program and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Translational Research Institute (CTSA Grant Award #1UL1RR029884)

Supported by a grant from the Fashion Footwear Association of New York

Financial disclosures: medical director and stock in Ascendant Diagnostics (not relevant to paper)

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Surgery and Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA

    V. Suzanne Klimberg

  2. Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Slot 725, 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR, 72212, USA

    V. Suzanne Klimberg

  3. Research Oncology, Division of Cancer Studies, King’s College London, London, UK

    Michael Douek

Authors
  1. V. Suzanne Klimberg
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  2. Michael Douek
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Correspondence to V. Suzanne Klimberg .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Breast Surgery Graduate Sc, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan

    Masakazu Toi

  2. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Eric Winer

  3. Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

    John Benson

  4. University of Arkansas for Medical Scien, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA

    Suzanne Klimberg

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Klimberg, V.S., Douek, M. (2016). Axillary Reverse Mapping (ARM) as a Means to Reduce Lymphedema During Sentinel Lymph Node or Axillary Node Dissection. In: Toi, M., Winer, E., Benson, J., Klimberg, S. (eds) Personalized Treatment of Breast Cancer. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-55552-0_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-55552-0_5

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