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Research - Breast Cancer Exercise Trial |
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Extensive breast cancer treatment research has led to significant improvements in survival. Unfortunately, survivorship following breast cancer treatment is fraught with adverse side effects and lymphodema (arm swelling) is considered the most problematic and dreaded. |
Prevention, management and treatment strategies of lymphoedema are dangerously largely anecdotal and poorly researched and it is of concern that many women appear to make restrictions to their lifestyle based on these anecdotal reports. One such restriction placed on their lifestyle is to limit exercise. Interestingly, while physical activity levels following breast cancer usually decline, the current medical opinion is that women with breast cancer should be encouraged to be physically active. Furthermore, limiting exercise has the potential to deny women an important strategy to improve well-being, physical functioning and hence quality of life. However, extreme caution is applied to this advice for women with lymphoedema. We
recently conducted pilot
work at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s
Hospital investigating the acceptability of an exercise programme
for women following breast cancer, and its impact on a range of measures
including lymphoedema. We found that the exercise programme did not precipitate lymphoedema, nor did it exacerbate the condition in the women who had lymphoedema prior to the study. These encouraging results have led to the development of our current project which is designed to investigate the role of an exercise program in women with lymphoedema. In doing so, we will be able to determine how women with lymphoedema
compare to women without, in relation to the physical and psycho-social
side effects of breast cancer treatment. Furthermore, the project will
allow us to determine the acceptability of the program to women with lymphoedema,
while at the same time contribute to the field regarding the efficacy
and safety of the particular exercise program for women with lymphoedema.
In short, this project is designed to raise awareness of the issues faced
by women with lymphoedema as well as improve our understanding of the
role of exercise in lymphoedema management.  Dr. Sandi Hayes Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation |
