Lymphedema, swelling common after cancer treatments

Dear Doctor: My best friend had a successful breast cancer surgery last spring. But the surgeon took out some lymph nodes, and now she’s getting lymphedema in her left arm. Is it true that there’s no cure?

Dear Reader: Lymphedema is the name for swelling that occurs when there is a blockage to the lymphatic system. Often, as in your friend’s case, it arises when lymph nodes are removed or damaged d…