Assessment of lymphatic impairment and interstitial protein accumulation in patients with breast cancer treatment-related lymphedema using CEST MRI.

Lymphatic impairment is known to reduce quality of life in some of the most crippling diseases of the 21(st) century, including obesity, lymphedema, and cancer. However, the lymphatics are not nearly as well-understood as other bodily systems, largely owing to a lack of sensitive imaging technologies that can be applied using standard clinical equipment. Here, proton exchange-weighted MRI is translated to the lymphatics in patients with breast cancer treatment-related lymphedema (BCRL).