Lymphoedema swellings are, potentially lifelong, side effects of lymph node removal for breast cancer treatment. Unfortunately, they tend to appear months or even years after recovery from the cancer itself, serving as a painful reminder to patients of a cancer from which they have hopefully recovered. The swellings are uncomfortable, achy, prone to infection and can even cause a total loss of limb mobility.

The remarkable scanners will measure the water content of the affected tissue are key to the detection, assessment and treatment of these swellings which cannot currently be assessed until they are visible to the naked eye and as a result are often not detected until it is too late.