The LYMPH Trial - Microsurgical Versus Conservative Treatment of Chronic Breast Cancer Associated Lymphedema
Recruiting now NCT05890677
Run by University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland · for 18 and older · All sexes
What this study is about
The aim of this study is to test whether lymphatic surgery provides better QoL (assessed with the Lymph-ICF-UL, (Lymphedema Functioning Disability and health questionnaire for upper limb lymphedema)) 15 months after randomization (and therefore about one year after surgery) compared to conservative treatment only for patients with chronic lymphedema (LE)
Who can join (things the study team will check)
✅ You may be able to join if…
- Written informed consent.
- Patients ≥ 18 years of age.
- Former diagnosis of breast cancer.
- Clinical diagnosis of chronic Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema (BCRL) (persisting for more than 3 months) classified as ≥ Stage 1, according to ISL.
- Minimum of 3 months Conservative Complex Physical Decongestion Therapy.
- Ability to complete the QoL questionnaires.
- Willingness to undergo surgery.
🚫 You may not be able to join if…
- No indication for lymphatic surgery according to clinical judgment of the treating surgeon (individual reasons will be specifically documented).
- Primary congenital Lymphedema or non-BCRL.
- Previous surgical BCRL treatment on the side intended for intervention.
Where this trial is running
- Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St Louis, Missouri, United States
- Mayo Clinic, Rochester, New York, United States
- University Clinics St.Pölten, Sankt Pölten, Lower Austria, Austria
- Krankenhaus Göttlicher Heiland GmbH, Vienna, State of Vienna, Austria
- Brussels University Hospital, Brussels, Jette, Belgium
- University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
- Hospital Erasto Gaertner, Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
- McGill University, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Canada
- University of British Columbia, Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre, Vancouver, Canada
- BG Universitätsklinikum Bergmannsheil Bochum, Bochum, Germany
+ 24 more sites.
Who to contact
Elisabeth Kappos, Prof. Dr. · +41 61 328 62 54 · elisabeth.kappos@usb.ch
It's completely normal to call and ask questions before deciding anything. Mention the study ID: NCT05890677.
Verify everything on the official ClinicalTrials.gov record. Page updated July 2026.
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