Evidence Update: Breast Reconstruction and Lymphedema Risk
Patients often ask us if breast reconstruction after mastectomy increases their risk of lymphedema. Several studies in the past suggest that breast reconstruction does not increase lymphedema risk. In a recent study published in October, researchers compared the number of patients who developed lymphedema in three surgical groups: mastectomy alone, immediate expander or implant and […]
Evidence Update: Massage Therapy Helps Relieve Cancer-Related Pain
Pain related to cancer and its treatment is a common problem among patients with cancer. Conventional treatment does not always relieve cancer pain satisfactorily. A recent publication analyzed and published research on the effect of massage therapy and cancer pain. Twelve available studies that included 559 total participants were reviewed. The authors found significant reductions in cancer pain with […]
Evidence Update: Older Cancer Patients Miss Benefit of Physical Therapy
A recent study published by researchers at The University of North Carolina examined the utilization of occupational and physical therapy (OT/PT) services in older cancer patients. The records of 592 patients with cancer were examined. The average age was 71, and 63% of the patients had breast cancer. Most of the patients (64.5%) had at least one […]
Evidence Update: Report from the National Institute of Health Oncology Rehabilitation Symposium
The National Institute of Health (NIH) convened a meeting of research experts in the field of cancer rehabilitation at the NIH in Bethesda, MD in June. The purpose of this rehabilitation symposium was to disseminate the findings of an expert group comprised of clinical and research NIH Staff, and nationally recognized experts in cancer rehabilitation […]
