Abstract： Breast cancer associated lymphedema is one of the most common complications after breast cancer surgery. It is a chronic irreversible disease，which affects the quality of life of many breast cancer patients. This paper discusses the understanding， diagnosis， staging of breast cancer related lymphedema in traditional Chinese and western medicine，and the prevention and treatment measures of traditional Chinese and western medicine based on clinical literature， with a view to providing more effective clinical diagnosis and treatment programs according to the manifestations and development of breast cancer related lymphedema in different periods.