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Improving Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema and Upper Extremity Dysfunction: Why Multidisciplinary Care Matters
This activity begins with discussion on optimal ways to identify high risk patients, approaches to patient education for all women, with a specific focus on those women disproportionately affected by BCRL/UED, and clinical workflows for high risk patients/those who have already developed BCRL/UED. Additionally, there is discussion around how radiation field design, extent of dissection, and various patient factors influence the risk of BCRL/UED. The next presenter discusses specialized techniques of ILR in preventing BCRL/UED in high-risk patients, and how the anatomy of lymph node dissections can provide insights for RT planning optimization. The third presentation discusses optimizing ILR through techniques in radiation planning, including contouring of anastomotic clips as organs at risk (OAR), and creating dose constraints for these OARs. Additional discussion includes how much coverage each axillary level needs in various clinical scenarios, thereby helping to develop a general planning template that can be applied to various patients. The last presenter is an amazing breast cancer survivor treated with radiation at NYU Radiation Oncology. She is a puppeteer for Sesame Street, for whom they created the first ever Asian American puppet which she performs for. Her story is extremely relevant, as she suffered from lymphedema, directly affecting her career. For this, she has achieved many awards and has been celebrated in the news. She discusses the personal impact BCRL has made on her life, and why it is so important for the field to continue to reduce this risk for all women
Topics:
- Role of a Radiation Oncologist in Reducing Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema
Jonathan Strauss, MD, MBA - The Role of the Reconstructive Microsurgeon in the Management of Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema
Sumanas W. Jordan, MD, PhD - Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema and Upper Extremity Dysfunction: Optimizing Breast Planning
Daphna Spiegel, MD, MS - Sharing My Story: My Experience with Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema
Kathy Kim - Q and A
Leah M. Katz, MD - Moderator
Full Panel
This activity is available from August 19, 2025, through 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on August 18, 2027.
The content was originally presented and recorded at the 2024 ASTRO Annual Meeting.
Target Audience
The activity is designed to meet the interests of medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons, nurses, residents, breast surgeons and physical therapists.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:
- Work with their surgical colleagues to optimize axillary surgery with ILR, in cases where it is available. This may include both educating surgical colleagues and working to identify suitable patients that would benefit most from ILR procedures.
- For those patients with full dissections, ROs will learn which axillary nodal levels need full coverage and which can be more lightly treated. ROs will develop a working sense of how to assess this using multifactorial features of the patient; number of nodes positive, presence of ECE, age, performance status and use of chemotherapy.
- Learn how to build a multidisciplinary partnership with surgical and medical oncology colleagues, PTs, and patient navigators to ensure no patient at high risk for BCRL/UED is not counseled and given the tools to best prevent these side effects from developing.
- Leah M. Katz, MD, is employed by Columbia University Medical Center.
- Jonathan B. Strauss, MD, MBA, is employed by Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
- Sumanas W. Jordan, MD, PhD, is employed by Northwestern University McGaw Medical Center.
- Daphna Spiegel, MD, MS, is employed by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
The person(s) above served as the developer(s) of this activity. Additionally, the ASTRO Education Committee had control over the content of this activity. All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated.
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Available Credit
- 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education for physicians. ASTRO designates this Enduring material for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
- 1.00 Certificate of AttendanceThis activity was designated for 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.
Price
Course Fees:
ASTRO members must log in to the ASTRO website to view and receive the member rate.
- Nonmember: $149
- Member: $99
- Member-in-Training: $49
- Student/Graduate Student/PGY-1 Member: $49
- Postdoctoral Fellow Member: $49
If you are an ASTRO member from a low or lower-middle income country, as identified by the World Bank, you can receive a 50% discount off your corresponding registration for this activity. Please email [email protected] to inquire about the discount.
Policies:
No refunds, extensions, or substitutions will be made for those participants who, for any reason, have not completed the activity by the expiration date.
Participants using ASTRO Academy activities to satisfy the requirement of a Continuing Certification (MOC) program should verify the credit number and type and availability dates of any activity before making a purchase. No refunds, extensions, or substitutions will be made for participants who have purchased activities that do not align with their MOC requirement.
The activity and its materials will only be available on the ASTRO website until August 18, 2027, regardless of purchase date. At the expiration of the activity, participants will no longer have access to the activity or its materials. ASTRO reserves the right to remove an activity before its expiration date.
Required Hardware/software
One of the two latest versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer or Safari.