The Effect Of Lymphedema On Cancer Survivors ' Quality Of Life

Breast cancer is no longer a menace as it was years back; however, little is known on what the patients experience after treatment. Pauwels, Charlier, Lechner & Van Hoof (2013) state that the period of transition to survivorship is filled with emotional distress and a low quality of life. It is evident that the survivors have to go through many struggles and in the recent past, there have been interventions that are meant to improve on their well being. No clear guidelines exist on how the psychological interventions that should be applied to assist breast cancer patients to make a quick

We can treat a patient with a variety of underlying medical conditions, from different cultural backgrounds, and socio-economic classes. However, there are a couple of common characteristics that our patients share. Most of the lymphedema patients are suffering from either diabetes, venous insufficiency, morbid obesity, or any type of cancer, such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer, multiple melanoma, or lymphoma. Our patients are usually 60-year-old or older, Caucasian, and live 10-20 minutes away from the outpatient clinic. Most of them have some sort of family support either from their spouses or children. Also, the majority of our patients are religious and attend church on a regular basis. In addition, 99% of our patients are not familiar with the lymphedema diagnosis and require extensive education regarding this

Those research articles advocated for varied and unique support groups, with no one type that is more effective than the other. Hope Cancer Resources adopts this mentality, as they work to cater to specific needs for specific populations. Hope Cancer Resources works hard to continually evolve to meet the emotional needs of the patients they care for, which can be seen in their recent additions of the Lymphedema Support group and Stage Four Support group. Both of these groups were requested by patients at the clinics, and the organization altered their course to ensure they were catering to their

Lower limb lymphedema (LLL) induced by standard surgical and radiation treatment for gynecological cancers is a serious complication that can lead to adverse physical and mental patient outcomes1. It is estimated that between 7 and 78 percent of patients treated for gynecological cancers develop LLL after beginning their medical treatment regimen2,3,4. This substantial disparity is likely due to variable definitions of lymphedema, bias regarding how lymphedema is

• You may need to be screened for extra fluid around the lymph nodes (lymphedema). Follow instructions from your health care provider about how often you should be checked.

Having worked in the oncology department in my organization for several years, I understand that cancer pain is intricate and compounded, managing cancer pain involves polypharmacy both pharmacological and non-pharmacological complementary and alternative therapy. Cancer patients, aching and discomfort trigger arrays of outpouring warning signs. With upsurge sign of pain ensues apprehension, while upsurge in apprehension ensues fretfulness and shortness of breath, the upsurge fretfulness and shortness of breath brings forth advanced fretfulness, which results in complex pain and anguish. It is imperative to treat cancer patient with pain early to avert and lessen other accompanied symptoms.

The body releases endorphins and serotonin during exercise. These hormones can make the patient “feel good” and after a while, the body will produce more dopamine, which is the hormone to relieve depression. Lymphedema patients who exercise after a mastectomy should consider Propriceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) techniques. These techniques require motor recruitment of the skeletal muscle that engages movement and stretching. More motor recruitments mean more movement within the skeletal muscles. A patient with lymphedema will not be able to recruit motor neurons to move the arm because of the pain they are experiencing. PNF techniques will enhance range of motion and reduce the pain. The purpose of the experiment by Choi & Kyungin (2014) is to see how effective PNF techniques are when they are being performed within 30 minutes of exercise. Choi & Kyungin (2014) used different PNF techniques including radiation intiation, isotonic , contact-relax, and hold-relax on female breast cancer-related lymphedema patients. The Beck Anxiety and Beck Depression Invetory were used to measure their psychological levels (Choi & Kyungin, 2014). As a result of this experiment, PNF techniques will more than likely reduce depression more than anxiety (Choi & Kyungin,

The perfect effect and management of persistent discomfort within malignancy depends on awareness of the fundamental pathophysiology structures as well as molecular systems, good examples of such instances include:

Lymphedema, with the associated swelling and pain, is a significant problem in breast cancer survivors. As a result, nurses should understand this complex problem so that they can inform breast cancer patients of their lifelong risk of developing this complication [10]To reduce/prevent lymphedema, nurses should educate breast cancer survivors to follow self-care regimen for controlling symptoms and avoiding exacerbation, such as performing daily skin care; wearing gloves during activities to prevent skin breaks; preventing injury in the affected side; preventing muscle strain; and promoting lymph drainage (i.e. elevate the affected arm, engage in regular, light aerobic exercise daily, maintain optimal body weight and wear a well-fitted compression garment when traveling by air) [25].

Nurses have also reported their desire for further education on cancer pain management so they can better care for their patients (Garcia et al., (2015). Despite the challenges of interpreting patient’s self-reported pain, proper assessments and documentation from the nurse is crucial in cancer pain

According to Ridner et al. (2014), lymphedema is a chronic condition that causes permanent damage to the lymphatic system. It is incurable, but can be effectively managed by comprehensive complete decongestive therapy with the goal of decreasing the limb volume to normal or near normal (Lawenda, Mondry, & Johnstone, 2009; Ridner et al., 2014; Rockson, 2016). According to (Lawenda, Mondry, & Johnstone, 2009), the lack of effective early lymphedema management results in increased swelling, fibrotic skin changes, pain, paresthesia, and infections. Moreover, Lawenda et al. (2009) stated that early intervention decreases the progression of the disease. Therefore, it is critical to provide early lymphedema intervention to help to promote quality of life, and decrease functional disability, psychosocial deficits, and complications that may be life threatening among the clients who are impacted by lymphedema (Lawenda et al., 2009). Lymphedema is treated by a lymphedema specialist with physician orders to evaluate and treat lymphedema (Rockson, 2016).

Rationale: Lymphoedema is also known as lymphatic obstruction and is a skin condition in which there is localized fluid retention and tissue swelling. This is typically caused by a compromised lymphatic system, also causing tissues to become infected, or at the very least, inflamed. Symptoms are severe and include chronic fatigue, heavy swollen limbs, fluid accumulation in other body areas (head, neck, etc.), discoloration of the skin, and eventual deformity or elephantiasis. The disease affects about 140 million people globally, and is

Lymphedema is the swelling of soft tissues as a result of the accumulation of protein-rich fluid in the extracellular spaces. Secondary lymphedema is precipitated by an event causing blockage or interruption of the lymphatic vessels. It is a potential complication that may affect quality of life of patients treated for breast cancer. Life-long risk factors of post-breast cancer lymphedema are related to the extent of axillary node involvement, type of breast surgery, and radiation therapy, as these factors decrease lymphatic drainage and increase stasis of fluid in the areas of skin and subcutaneous tissues that drain to those regional lymph nodes. Breast cancer- related lymphedema (BCRL) can involve the arm and hand, as well as the

Women facing breast cancer, in every phase of the disease and at every phase of treatment, struggles with some amount of emotional distress (Holland, 2014), which can have an adverse affect on health and recovery (Godbout & Glaser, 2006). Research has evidence that immune functioning is improved by the perception of a degree of restraint over harmful stimuli (Boinon, Charles, Dauchy & Sultan, 2011; Chung, Lee, Hwang, & Park, 2013) and by the communication of positive or negative emotions (Jacob, Kreifelts, Brück, Erb, Hösl, & Wildgruber, 2012; Cohen, 2004). While these are good rationales to include counseling in “survivorship care plans or SPCs” (Rechis, Arvey, & Beckjord, 2013, p. 119), perchance, the principal reason is that psychological treatment can improve the client’s quality of life during a distressful time (Charles, 2000; Kirsch, 2012).

The quality of life has become more and more significant in the management of cancer. Patients with cancer are surviving longer due to technology advancements in being able to detect the cancer early. Because of this patients are suffering with unmanageable pain during illness and treatment. This represents the failure of the multidisciplinary team. A plan must be put into place in dealing with pain management.