When possible, prevention is the best treatment for lymphedema — painful swelling that can result from some cancer therapies. Lymphedema can occur in cancer patients — notably those with breast cancer — whose lymph nodes are removed during treatment, due to the resulting backup of bodily fluids. “The lymphatic system is almost like a sewage center — it cleans and filters fluids,” Min-Jeong Cho, MD, says. “Specifically for breast cancer patients, all that fluid that's supposed to go to the lymph node has nowhere to go and then it just backs up, mostly from the arm. So, then you will have a chronic swelling that's mostly non-curable.” Click to learn how Ohio State experts are breaking new ground in care and research at the OSUCCC – James' Lymphedema Center of Excellence. Approximately 40-60 percent of breast cancer patients who undergo lymph node removal develop lymphedema, so research into possible prevention methods is especially important, says Cho, who is currently performing new procedures called prophylactic lymphovenous bypasses. “At the time of the lymph node dissection, I find the lymphatic vessel that's been cut and the vein that's right next to it, and I hook it up, causing a bypass,” she says. “I use super-microsurgery — we have a microscope that lets me see 40 times what my eye could see — and I will hook up the lymphatic vessels to the vein using that micro-surgery scope.” While the surgery has led to significant reduction in the development of lymphedema, Cho points out that some patients have still developed the condition after undergoing the procedure, which is one of the reasons that continued research is so important. “Whenever lymph nodes are removed — I’ve treated patients with melanoma and gynecologic cancers — they're at risk for developing lymphedema,” she says. “Hopefully we can make this all success for every patient that we see.” Click to learn more about clinical cancer research at Ohio State.