Lymphedema: Our Mission to Better Understand Diagnose and Treat This Often Ignored Disease

Lymphedema is a serious health issue that many patients live with, yet it is often misunderstood.

“Lymphedema is a disorder that unfortunately many providers don’t have a lot of experience taking care of,” said Dr. Gregory Piazza, cardiovascular medicine specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. However, in recent years, there have been many new developments in the knowledge and treatment of lymphedema.

“There hasn’t, until recently, been a lot of research into why patients develop lymphedema and what genes are involved,” explained Dr. Piazza. “Recently, they’ve identified a number of genes that contribute to lymphedema at birth or lymphedema in young patients. They have come to understand that any gene that affects either the development of the lymph vessels or the development of the lymph nodes can lead to lymphedema.”

“It’s a common disease that primary care doctors, cardiovascular specialists, and other providers will come into contact with,” said Dr. Piazza. “You want to be up-to-date on the current trends and how we’re understanding the disease better.”