Breast Cancer and weight lifting

48858

Are there any ladies here that have had breast cancer with lymph-nodes removed? I'm missing 18.... Implants under muscle........

When the time comes that I am not using my own body weight for resistance, (when I am strong enough) I would like to work my chest using weights, but.........When you have had lymph-nodes removed, you have to worry about lymph-edema (auto correct..) setting in. Are there any ladies that can offer advice?

Chieflrg

Male here. I had approximately 30-40 lymph nodes removed, though I wasnt dx'd with breast cancer and actively trained and played baseball competitively throughout the year of surguries, chemo, and radiation.

I would suggest you talk to your GP, surgeon, and onocologist on their recommendations what is best for you being they would know all the important information about you.

We are not qualified nor would be able to obtain this information through the interwebs.

I wish you a speedy recovery and good training.

AnnPT77

I agree with the poster above that expert advice is better than advice from random strangers on the internet.

That said, I'd encourage you to be very selective about the source(s) of that information, and to seek multiple opinions. The best research-based advice has changed over the years, and not all the medical professionals are up to date on it.

I had bilateral mastectomies 18 years ago for breast cancer (no reconstruction). I had only 9 lymph nodes removed (on one side), but I also had extensive radiation (5 fields) on that side, which significantly increases lymphedema risk. (Usually, mastectomy means no radiation, but I had done a particularly special job of getting breast cancer: Stage III, 5 tumors in one breast, 1 in the other; largest tumor 3.1cm.)

At the time of my diagnosis, most medical professionals were giving the standard advice that one should not do repetitive-resistance upper body exercise (like weight training), nor lift more than 15 pounds (ever) with the affected arm.

A year or two later, I was enrolled in a large-scale study of women who rowed (boats, mostly) after breast cancer surgery . . . clearly upper body repetitive resistance exercise. It was part of a wave of research that began to discredit the "don't lift over 15 pounds" self-limiting - even crippling - advice. Most reseach, in my understanding, suggested that regular exercise didn't cause lymphedema, and might even be helpful in avoiding it.

I was lucky. At the time of my treatment, I asked my surgeon about weight training. He said "that advice to avoid it comes from lymphedema clinics, where they see people who had breast cancer treatment then got lymphedema, and try to explain why. I see lots of women who have had breast cancer treatment, only some of whom get lymphedema. Many of my patients lift weights. I tell women it's OK to lift weights, but that it's a good idea to progress gradually, and be extra careful about avoiding injury to the affected arm." So that's what I did.

I have been rowing for about 15 of the 18 years since my breast cancer treatment, usually 4 days a week in season. In the off-season, I often lift weights. I have not developed lymphedema. I know literally dozens of women who've had lymph nodes removed, and who row regularly. I know none who've developed lymphedema from rowing. (Some had it before starting.) I know quite a few other women who've had breast cancer treatment who lift weights regularly, who do Crossfit, and more. None of them have developed lymphedema from doing those things.

I know a small number of women who've actually developed lymphedema (they're in a support group I belong to). None of them know what triggered their lymphedema (and explicitly said that). Coincidentally, none of them are rowers, but I don't know what other activities they may do, but they explicitly said in the support group that from their perspective they'd done nothing unusual, none of the suspect activities, beforehand.

Please understand, I'm not saying you will not get lymphedema (whether you weight train, or not). I'm not giving you medical advice, because I'm not expert. I'm simply telling you stories from my life, as accurately as I'm able, nothing more.

You should look to medical experts for medical advice. Talk to your doctors, look at mainstream sources of post-treatment advice (American Cancer Society, Susan G. Komen, M.D. Anderson, that sort of thing). Read research via Google scholar, and decide whether you think weight lifting is too risky, or not.