Cancer survivorship is about more than eradicating cancer cells—it’s about the life that comes afterward. For millions of survivors, that life is shadowed by a complication few are warned about: lymphedema.
After my own breast cancer treatment, I developed severe lymphedema in my dominant arm. The swelling and pain forced me to leave my clinical practice and reimagine every part of daily living—from the clothes I wear to how I cook.
In the latest issue of Oncology Times, I shared my story and the urgent call for standardized lymphedema screening. Tools like bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS), used in the SOZO device, can detect fluid changes before visible swelling starts. Early detection could spare countless survivors the irreversible challenges I now manage every day.
But this is also an equity issue. Black women are 3.5 times more likely to develop lymphedema than White women, yet many lack access to early screening and care. We must change this.
Survivorship should mean living fully—not simply surviving.
I hope you’ll read the article and join me in advocating for change.
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