Singapore, Mar 19. 2009: Australian medical devices company, ImpediMed has announced that a particular study published in the online edition of Journal of Clinical Oncology supports its business model. The company produces L-Dex U400 for breast cancer surveillance.

The publication: "Incidence, Treatment Costs, and Complications of Lymphedema After Breast Cancer Among Women of Working Age: A 2-Year Follow-Up Study", was published on the March 16, 2009. The company feels that this is a significant study, as it demonstrates both the psychosocial impact of lymphedema and the impact of the direct costs associated with lymphoedema in breast cancer patients in the first two years post operation.

The authors of the publication state that "Upper extremity lymphedema is one of the most dreaded sequel of breast cancer (BC) treatment. The psychosocial impact of lymphedema has been described to be as distressing as the initial diagnosis of BC; patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) have been found to have a lower quality of life, a higher level of anxiety or depression, a higher likelihood of chronic pain and fatigue, and greater difficulty functioning socially and sexually compared with BC women without lymphedema. Reported incidence rates of BCRL vary from 4 percent to 56 percent; the true incidence is difficult to assess because of varying criteria used to define lymphedema and the duration of follow-up across studies."

"The L-Dex U400 is the first FDA cleared device designed to aid surgeons, oncologists and therapists to detect the earliest stages of the disorder. It was demonstrated last year (June Cancer publication) that early detection and early intervention can successfully treat lymphoedema and potentially prevent the progression of the disorder. This publication is a powerful health economic support to the benefits of the preemptive care our technology can help facilitate,” said Mr Greg Brown, CEO, ImpediMed.

The publication is said to have established that the costs of managing a patient with breast cancer related lymphoedema (BCRL) were significantly higher (in the range of $14,877 to $ 23,167 over the two year study period), than those breast cancer patients without lymphoedema. According to the authors, "This study likely underestimates the cost of BCRL. The onset of lymphedema varies in time; although we followed our study cohort for two years, the costs of BCRL for women who developed the condition late within that period would not reflect the total financial burden of BCRL."

Mr Brown said, "ImpediMed's business model is supported by the conclusion of this study. We are very focused on the use of the L-Dex U400 for pre-emptive care; both for pre-operative and post-operative surveillance of patients.

The conclusion of the study was, "Although the use of claims data may underestimate the true incidence of lymphedema, women with BCRL had a greater risk of infections and incurred higher medical costs. The substantial costs documented here suggest that further efforts should be made to elucidate reduction and prevention strategies for BCRL."

According to Mr Brown, this publication should support the company's efforts in establishing coverage for healthcare professionals for the reimbursement of ImpediMed technology in the US market.