Clinical trial · Interventional
Effectiveness of Stellate Ganglion Block in Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema
Ultrasonographic Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Stellate Ganglion Block in Patients With Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
Lymphedema is a condition characterized by generalized or regional accumulation of protein-rich interstitial fluid as a result of impaired lymphatic circulation due to congenital or acquired disorders. Lymphedema is diagnosed through evaluations of its clinical criteria. Lymphedema is mostly evaluated through arm circumference measurements, water displacement measurements, tonometry, bioimpedance analysis, ultrasonography (US), computed tomography, lymphoscintigraphy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Targets in the treatment of lymphedema include controlling the symptoms and preventing complications. A multimodal technique called complete decongestive therapy (CDT) is considered the gold standard of the treatment of lymphedema. In the literature, there are also studies showing that stellate ganglion block in breast cancer-related lymphedema treatment improves lymphedema and symptoms. Cervical stellate ganglion block is an invasive method used for the diagnosis and treatment of sympathetic pain and symptoms of upper extremity. Although it can be performed with fluoroscopy, CT and MRI, there has been increasing interest in ultrasound-guided technique since it has been fast, easy and cost-effective for the last few years. However, there are limited studies to provide sufficient evidence for the use of stellate ganglion block as an alternative treatment for lymphedema and detailed studies are needed in this area. The aim of this study is ultrasonographic evaluation of the efficacy of stellate ganglion block in the treatment of patients with breast cancer related lymphedema that is resistant to conservative treatment methods .
Conditions
Conditions (2)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Lymphedema of Upper Limb | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (1)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| bupivacaine and triamcinolone | Combination Product | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (1)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- stellate ganglion block in breast cancer related lymphedema
- description
- US-guided stellat ganglion block will be applied to the patients with breast cancer related lymphedema twice at two-week intervals.
- interventionNames
- Combination Product: bupivacaine and triamcinolone
Primary outcomes (20)
- measure
- Arm circumference difference
- timeFrame
- before treatment (T0)
- description
- Circumference differences between the affected and unaffected arms will be measured with a nonelastic tape measure at five levels; metacarpophalangeal joints, wrist, 15 cm distally from the medial epicondyle, medial epicondyle and 15 cm proximally from the medial epicondyle upper extremities.
- measure
- Arm circumference difference
- timeFrame
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- Female
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
- Maximum age
- 75 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * circumference difference of 2 cm or more between the affected and unaffected arm * stage 2-3 lymphedema according to ISL staging * aged between 18-70 years * at least 3 months of follow-up breast surgery * no response to the complete decongestive therapy enough Exclusion Criteria: * signs of cellulitis, lymphangitis, fungal infection, * metastases to the lymph nodes * uncontrolled psychiatric and systemic diseases * contraindications for stellate ganglion block
References
Publications (5)
- BACKGROUNDSuehiro K, Morikage N, Yamashita O, Harada T, Samura M, Takeuchi Y, Mizoguchi T, Nakamura K, Hamano K. Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue Ultrasonography Features in Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema. Ann Vasc Dis. 2016;9(4):312-316. doi: 10.3400/avd.oa.16-00086. Epub 2016 Nov 25. PMID 28018504
- BACKGROUNDKim J, Park HS, Cho SY, Baik HJ, Kim JH. The effect of stellate ganglion block on intractable lymphedema after breast cancer surgery. Korean J Pain. 2015 Jan;28(1):61-3. doi: 10.3344/kjp.2015.28.1.61. Epub 2015 Jan 2. PMID 25589949
- BACKGROUNDKim JG, Bae SO, Seo KS. A comparison of the effectiveness of complex decongestive physiotherapy and stellate ganglion block with triamcinolone administration in breast cancer-related lymphedema patients. Support Care Cancer. 2015 Aug;23(8):2305-10. doi: 10.1007/s00520-014-2593-5. Epub 2015 Jan 11. PMID 25577504
- BACKGROUNDPark JH, Min YS, Chun SM, Seo KS. Effects of stellate ganglion block on breast cancer-related lymphedema: comparison of various injectates. Pain Physician. 2015 Jan-Feb;18(1):93-9. PMID 25675063
- BACKGROUNDPark MW, Lee SU, Kwon S, Seo KS. Comparison Between the Effectiveness of Complex Decongestive Therapy and Stellate Ganglion Block in Patients with Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema: A Randomized Controlled Study. Pain Physician. 2019 May;22(3):255-263. PMID 31151333