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Lymphland International Lymphedema Online
October 1, 2011
Occupational Therapist - Minot Daily News –
MEDICAL HELP WANTED
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST
Full-time position. Mon.- Fri. day shift with some weekend coverage required. Job duties include but not
limited to: Orthopaedics, Vestibular, Incontinence, Fibromyalgia, Lymphedema, Pool Therapy, Skilled,
Home Health and Care Center. Occupational Therapy License required. Sign-on bonus and paid CEU's.
HOSPITAL PHARMACIST
Full-time position. Mon.- Fri. 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. but will require flexibility. Job will primarily be in the
hospital pharmacy at both Wright Medical Center and Belmond Medical Center and will float as needed in
the retail pharmacy at Wright Medical Center. Position will be required to be on a call rotation and work
every fourth Saturday morning. Hospital pharmacy experience preferred.
Positions offer outstanding wages & fringe benefits. Please stop by and pick up an application, apply on-line
at www.wrightmed.com or contact the Human Resouces Department at 515-602 9801 to receive an
application by mail. All positions are subject to criminal/department adult abuse background checks, pre-
employment physical and drug testing.
WRIGHT MEDICAL CENTER
1316 S. MAIN STREET
CLARION, IA 50525
Wright Medical CENTER
Breast cancer 'not a death sentence' - Taunton Daily Gazette – By Deborah Allard –
FALL RIVER —
In the waiting room of Charlton Memorial Hospital’s Southcoast Center for Cancer Care, Juanita
Thompson sang softly to a tune that she alone could hear from her iPod.
Thompson, a breast cancer survivor, had a mastectomy about a year ago and several rounds of
chemotherapy. Despite losing her hair and a breast, the spiritual woman has found a renewed sense of joy.
“I’ve come out of this with a brand new mind, body and spirit,” Thompson said. “It’s really not a death
sentence. It’s made me think about life and make every minute of it count.”
Thompson, like most who suffer from breast cancer, has gone on to live a long and healthy life — a far cry
from what women endured not so many years ago when little was known about breast cancer.
Today, there are some 50 forms of chemotherapy, hormonal agents and targeted therapies that work
together to kill breast cancer cells, not to mention surgical options, radiation therapy and clinical trials,
according to materials from Saint Anne’s Hospital’s Regional Cancer Care center.
Susan O’Brien, an oncology nurse practitioner at Saint Anne’s Hospital, said breast cancer has become
more chronic than fatal.
“Once a woman is diagnosed, it’s a journey that she undertakes,” O’Brien said. “It’s so wonderful that these
women with breast cancer are living so long.”
O’Brien said breast cancer survival rates have been incredibly improved even since she started at Saint
Anne’s Hospital 25 years ago. Because of advances made in drugs and in education, more women are
diagnosed with curable Stage I and II cancers, rather than at more advanced stages.
The five-year survival rates for Stage I and II breast cancer now ranges from 74 to 88 percent, according to
the American Cancer Society. The survival rates for stage III and IV breast cancer are as high as 67 percent.
Until the 1960s — and later, in some cases — survival rates were very low, and the disease often resulted in
death. People thought breast cancer was embarrassing, and it was a hushed topic that often resulted in a
late, if any, diagnosis.
Dr. William Stewart Halsted is credited with being one of the fathers of modern American surgery at Johns
Hopkins University Hospital in the late 1800s. He developed the radical mastectomy, which consisted of
removing the entire breast, the underlying chest wall muscles and all lymph nodes in the armpit, according to
the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project.
The deforming operation resulted in a concave appearance, O’Brien explained. Women who underwent the
procedure often sought to wear a heavy prosthetic breast afterward.
This procedure was the standard breast cancer surgery for decades, until brothers Drs. Bernard and Edwin
Fisher challenged the radical mastectomy in the 1960s.
Today, doctors know that mastectomy has the same end result as lumpectomy plus radiation for most
women. Those undergoing mastectomy do not lose as much tissue as in decades past.
Until 25 years ago, women also underwent 14 cycles of chemotherapy lasting for 14 months, as opposed to
today’s roughly four months of chemotherapy.
“I never thought I would die,” said Margaret McCaffrey, who had breast cancer in 1995. Now retired, she
is a greeter at the Hudner Oncology Center at Saint Anne’s Hospital.
Because most women live with breast cancer, there is a whole new population of women in follow-up care
for years after their surgery or treatments. For them, living with breast cancer is the new normal.
For Thompson, follow-up care has included doctor’s visits every three months and monthly blood work.
Breast cancer can also result in complications. Thompson experienced lymphedema in her arm, a swelling of
the tissue, due to the surgery.
O’Brien said there are many “immediate and long-term effects.”
Besides lymphedema, patients can suffer from cognitive difficulties, low energy and depression. They may
also suffer effects to the heart and lungs, or go into early menopause, which can lead to osteoporosis.
Follow-up care generally consists of following any side effects, and includes hormone therapy for some.
Support groups, yoga, meditation and spiritual retreats are also part of what is offered at local hospitals.
Thompson attends a monthly support group where she is free to talk about her experience with breast
cancer and other topics.
“I love it,” Thompson said. “Talking about it helps other women through it. We lift each other up.”
Thompson plans to have reconstructive surgery in the near future, and is also planning on getting gastric
bypass surgery to lose weight. Now 51, she has begun computer programming classes at Bristol Community
College, something the mother of five has wanted to do for decades.
“I want to live,” Thompson said. “I want to enjoy the rest of my life. I feel wonderful.”
Email Deborah Allard at dallard@heraldnews.com.
Copyright 2011 The Taunton Gazette. Some rights reserved
October 2, 2011
Sutter Cancer Center gears up for quilt auction - Sacramento Bee – By Anita Creamer -
To kick off Sutter Cancer Center's quilt auction, several committee members, as well as Mary Pare, a
registered nurse with the Sutter breast cancer navigator program, will talk about the comfort and value of
quilts at 10 a.m. Monday.
Since its inception in 1999, the quilt auction – which is held every three years – has raised more than
$425,000 for Sutter Cancer Center programs, including the breast cancer navigator program, nutrition
classes and lymphedema education. Quilters from throughout the region have donated more than 1,900
quilts for the auction over the years.
This year's auction quilts will be on display throughout the cancer center beginning Monday. Visitors can fill
out bid sheets in person, and a live auction is scheduled for 10 a.m. Nov. 5. Information is available at www.
biddingforgood.com/ smcfoundation.
The cancer center, 2800 L St., Sacramento, is open to the public from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Woman injured, home damaged in fire - Enterprise-Record - By ROBIN EPLEY –
Had to search site for the matching article, was not the one that came up:
Chicoan advocates for lymphedema bill - By LARRY MITCHELL
CHICO — In November, Jan Hasak of Chico plans to lobby in Washington for a bill to help patients
affected by a little-known condition, lymphedema.
Hasak suffers from lymphedema herself. It causes parts of the body — often the arms or legs — to swell
and leaves the patient susceptible to serious infections.
It often occurs when the lymphatic vessels and/or lymph nodes are damaged or inadequate.
Hasak said her lymphedema began in 1997, after she had surgery for breast cancer, and some of her lymph
nodes were removed. That's a common cause of lymphedema, she said.
It's estimated about 5 million Americans, including up to 3 million Medicare beneficiaries, have lymphedema,
she said.
Treatment for the condition involves several weeks of gentle massage by a lymphedema therapist, she said.
The liquid causing the swelling is dispersed throughout the body by the massages.
After being treated, patients do the massages themselves. Also, they wear special sleeves and bandages to
compress the affected part of the body and prevent the swelling from recurring.
While there is treatment, no cure exists for lymphedema, Hasak said. "It's a lifelong condition. There's no
getting rid of it."
The problem Hasak and other members of an organization called the Lymphedema Advocacy Group are
addressing is that Medicare does not cover the cost of the sleeves and bandages patients need.
Made of synthetic fabric, the sleeves, which last for six months, cost $65 to $80, and the bandages run
about $100 a roll, she said.
Patients who can afford them, or whose private insurance helps cover them, sometimes use more elaborate
sleeves which are much easier to manage than bandages that involve wrapping, she said. These can run
around $600.
Hasak and her group are promoting HR 2499, the Lymphedema Treatment Act.
She said the measure would save Medicare a lot of money. People who can't afford the sleeves and
bandages don't use them, and as a result sometimes contract aggressive infections, which must be treated in
the hospital with intravenous antibiotics.
"The Lymphedema Advocacy Group says Medicare spends hundreds of millions of dollars every year
treating largely preventable lymphedema infections," said Hasak, a retired patent attorney who is on the
group's board of directors.
In January, she said she met with Rep. Wally Herger, R-Chico, about HR 2499 and found him "very
sympathetic."
She said the bill will come up for a vote before the House Subcommittee on Health, which Herger chairs.
Hasak is among board members of the advocacy group who plan to meet with Herger and other lawmakers
when they spend several days in Washington in November.
After her cancer recurred in 2003, Hasak decided to write a book about her experience with the disease.
"Mourning Has Broken: Reflections on Surviving Cancer" was published in 2008. Two years later, she
published a book of poetry, "The Pebble Path: Returning Home from a Forest of Shadows."
After her cancer returned, Hasak became an advocate for patients and for progress in treating cancer and
lymphedema.
"When I got it again, it seemed like a wake-up call," she said. "I felt I needed to be helpful."
Staff writer Larry Mitchell can be reached at 896-7759 or lmitchell@chicoer.com.
On the web: www.lymphnet.org
October 3, 2011
A Breast Cancer Cure? : The Natural Way to Beat Breast Cancer - SN Health & Fitness – Holly St. Lifer,
Prevention
-
Exercise cuts your odds of getting cancer or a recurrence. And it can be your best defense against the rigors
of treatment.
If you've gone through breast cancer surgery and treatment, working out is probably the last thing you feel
like doing. In fact, as recently as 15 years ago, doctors actually would have discouraged you from exercising
during and after treatment. But today the reasons to lace up a pair of sneakers are indisputable: Exercise can
halve your risk of breast cancer recurrence, according to the Harvard Nurses' Health Study, and women
who exercise are 50% more likely to survive breast cancer than those who don't work out.
6 Answers About Mammograms
What makes exercise such a potent breast cancer weapon?
"To get breast cancer, you need a mutated cell—a cell you've inherited or one that's been damaged by
radiation, a virus, or another carcinogen—and a local environment that's encouraging the cells to grow," says
Susan Love, MD, a leading authority on the disease. Because exercise naturally decreases levels of
inflammation, reduces stress, and helps you maintain a healthy weight, it changes your body chemistry,
creating a less hospitable environment for cancer to grow. In fact, being active during your lifetime can
reduce your risk of breast cancer by about 23%, according to researchers at the Harvard School of Public
Health.
Try This Cancer Quashing Marinade
How Exercise Helps Recovery
Working out can reduce your risk of getting breast cancer, but if you do develop the disease, different types
of exercise can also improve your recovery. Here, tested and proven suggestions for integrating fitness into
your treatment plan every step of the way.
17 Unexpected Ways Exercise Helps Your Health
During Treatment
Stay energized
Breaking a sweat boosts energy, emotional resilience, and physical strength—all of which you need during
breast cancer treatment. One German study found that a group of cancer patients receiving high-dose
chemotherapy who exercised daily for 30 minutes felt significantly less fatigue than those who didn't work
out. They also experienced less fear and anxiety. And a study from Copenhagen found that a combination of
cardio and strength training boosted energy in chemo patients. Any type of exercise can help. Just listen to
your body and go at your own pace.
Immediately After Treatment
Stay flexible
It's the removal of lymph nodes during a lumpectomy or mastectomy—not the excision of breast tissue—
that's usually the source of post-op pain. You may be tempted to take a break until this underarm tenderness
dissipates, but don't: Stiffness and a loss of range of motion can result if you don't commit to a stretching
routine soon after surgery. Here, three exercises created by Doreen Puglisi, an exercise physiologist, breast
cancer survivor, and founder of the Pink Ribbon Program, a Pilates-based post-op exercise program.
Starting 1 week after surgery, do the moves every other day or daily for best results.
Months After Treatment
Stay strong
Progressive weight training for the arms, chest, and back will allow you to regain your pretreatment strength
and ease the symptoms of lymphedema—a painful swelling in the arm that can occur after lymph node
removal—by up to 70%. Perform these moves with 1-or 2-pound weights, suggests Janette Poppenberg,
the creator of the DVD
Strength & Courage: Exercises for Breast Cancer Survivors. If you have lymphedema, wear a compression
arm sleeve.
CMH to host annual 'Pink Bag Luncheon' Friday - Bolivar Herald Free Press –
Tina – this is promoting a lunch that has already happened on Friday, sorry
Manual Lymph Drainage Class Comes to D'Arcy Lane Massage School - Wire Service Canada –
John Mulligan, a registered massage therapist and certified lymphedema therapist who resides and practices
in St. Catharines, Ontario, is slated to teach a certification class in manual lymph drainage for massage
therapists at D’Arcy Lane School of Massage in London, Ontario in early November, 2011.
Manual Lymph Drainage is a manual therapy technique that encourages the free flow of lymphatic fluid in the
body. This powerful modality can be used to promote wound healing, injury recovery, swelling reduction,
and detoxification and to promote lymphatic recovery after surgery or other trauma. It is distinct from
traditional massage therapy in that it is focused on the lymph system and does not target the muscles or
vascular system.
DATES:
Thursday November 3, 2011 to Sunday November 6, 2011 (8:00 am to 8:00 pm)
This 4 day, 40 hour intensive class offers certification in Manual Lymph Drainage.
Each participant will be trained in the techniques of Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD). Upon completion of
the class, the therapist will be able to successfully perform the techniques. Each participant will be able to
differentiate between varieties of edema, as well as understand the application, medical indications and
contraindications for MLD. The therapist will be able to establish an MLD treatment plan for individual
clients.
This class has been approved by the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario for 20 Continuing Education
Units (CEU’s).
John Mulligan is a registered massage therapist and a member of the College of Massage Therapists of
Ontario. He is also certified by the Lymphology Association of North America.
Although information about lymphedema will be included in this course, this is not a lymphedema therapy
certification course.
For more information contact info@darcylane.com or John@LymphedemaTherapist.com.
Manual Lymph Drainage Class Comes to D'Arcy Lane Massage School - Wire Service Canada –
This is a duplicate of the previous article, sorry
CMH Rehabilitation Services Offers Relief from Lymphedema - Wilmington News Journal, OH –
Lymphedema refers to swelling that generally occurs in one of your arms or legs. Although lymphedema
tends to affect just one arm or leg, sometimes both arms or legs may be swollen.
Following any type of breast surgery such as mastectomy, lumpectomy, or reconstruction, the soft tissues
around the shoulder, chest and under arms may be affected. Tightness, stiffness, pain, and lymphedema or
swelling may occur which can result in decreased mobility of your arm and generalized discomfort in the
chest area.
CMH physical therapist Rachel Duncan is a certified lymphedema therapist (CLT) and is able to treat
women and men with lymphedema of the upper and lower extremities. A physician referral is needed for her
service, but she can be reached at 383-7722.
Radiation treatment for cancer can cause scarring and inflammation of your lymph nodes or lymph vessels,
restricting flow of lymph fluid. Cancer cells can cause lymphedema if they block lymphatic vessels. For
instance, a tumor growing near a lymph node or lymph vessel could become large enough to obstruct the
flow of the lymph fluid.
There’s no cure for lymphedema, but it can be controlled. Controlling lymphedema involves diligent care of
your affected limb.
If you’re at risk of developing secondary lymphedema, you can take measures to help prevent it. If you’ve
had or are going to have cancer surgery, ask your doctor whether your particular procedure will involve
your lymph nodes or lymph vessels. Ask if your radiation treatment will be aimed at any of your lymph
nodes, so you’ll be aware of the possible risks.
To reduce your risk of lymphedema, try to:
• Protect your arm or leg. Avoid any injury to your affected limb. Cuts, scrapes and burns can all invite
infection, which can result in lymphedema.
• Protect yourself from sharp objects. For example, shave with an electric razor, wear gloves when you
garden or cook, and use a thimble when you sew. If possible, avoid medical procedures, such as blood
draws and vaccinations, in your affected limb.
• Rest your arm or leg while recovering. After cancer treatment, avoid heavy activity with that limb. Early
exercise and stretching are encouraged, but avoid strenuous activity until you’ve recovered from surgery or
radiation.
• Avoid heat on your arm or leg. Don’t apply heat, such as with a heating pad, to your affected limb.
Elevate your arm or leg. When you get a chance, elevate your affected limb above the level of your heart, if
possible.
• Avoid tight clothing. Avoid anything that could constrict your arm or leg, such as tight fitting clothing and, in
the case of your arm, blood pressure readings. Ask that your blood pressure be taken in your other arm.
Keep your arm or leg clean. Make skin care and nail care high priorities. Inspect the skin on your arm or leg
every day, keeping watch for changes or breaks in your skin that could lead to infection. Don’t go barefoot
outdoors.
October 4, 2011
North state marketplace: October 4 - Record-Searchlight –
Lymphedema group to meet Saturday
The Lymphedema Support Group will meet from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday at Burch Physical Therapy at 320
Hartnell Ave. in the Cobblestone Business Park in Redding. The topic will be edema management with short
stretch bandages.
Call 226-9242 or 221-6584 for more information.
October 4, 2011
Music brings momentum to cancer-fighting nonprofit - The Tennessean – by Jessica Bliss -
Every time Jensen Arrowsmith hears the first few beats of Green Day’s “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” she
pauses.
The song immediately takes her back to 2005, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“I can be in the car, the grocery store, and no matter where I am, I remember that time in my life,” says the
33-year-old.
The power of those musical pulses is what inspired Arrowsmith and three of her closest friends to create
Women Rock For The Cure, a local nonprofit committed to fighting the disease through the creativity and
influence of the entertainment industry.
Since 2007, Women Rock For The Cure has partnered with Nashville’s Komen affiliate to help raise money
and find new ways to increase breast cancer awareness locally — particularly as it affects women and men
in their 20s, 30s and 40s.
The organization has three signature music events: Pink Trash Ball, the Women Rock For The Cure benefit
concert, and this month’s Opry Goes Pink, which on Oct. 22 will flip the switch on the Grand Ole Opry’s
barn backdrop, turning it the signature pastel hue while headliner Martina McBride takes the stage.
So far, nearly $100,000 has been raised. And the beat is getting stronger.
“I think music has the amazing ability to move people, and what better way to fight breast cancer than
through the power of music?” Arrowsmith says. “Whether it is the melody or the lyrics, there is something
magical about music that brings people together, and there is strength in numbers.”
Music reaches people
Arrowsmith was just
27 when the doctor discovered a lump in her breast. Her thoughts turned to her future.
“I haven’t gotten married, I haven’t had kids, I haven’t traveled the world,” she remembers thinking. “I am
not done yet. So whatever I need to do to still be here, I am going to do.”
And she did. She had surgery, radiation, chemotherapy. She survived.
And then she took it a step further. She helped create an organization that would help others survive, too.
It began during her recovery, when she took a job as manager of publicity for a local independent record
label. She also joined the Society of Leaders in Development (SOLID), an organization for young music
business professionals, and met Liz Lee Schullo, Rebekah Lee Beard and Tara Austin.
After sharing her story with the women, they realized breast cancer touched each of their lives in some way.
With their ties to the music industry, and support from SOLID, they set out to organize an all-female, writer-
in-the-round benefit concert — later called Women Rock For The Cure — to help raise awareness and
funds for SOLID’s Race for the Cure team.
Music fans, cancer patients and survivors, and Music Row insiders filled the sold-out show, the first of
which was held at 3rd & Lindsley. After two years, the women decided to make Women Rock For The
Cure a nonprofit and rock pink all year round.
In 2009, Women Rock For The Cure partnered with the Grand Ole Opry to present the annual “Opry
Goes Pink” event. Multiplatinum country artist Carrie Underwood headlined the show and ABC’s Good
Morning America host and breast cancer survivor Robin Roberts served as the guest announcer.
“Music is a business of emotion, and in order to get people to act, we need to move them,” Grand Ole Opry
Vice President and General Manager Pete Fisher says. “Whether it’s breast cancer awareness, whether it’s
music education, or whether it’s raising important dollars and awareness for other important causes.
“It’s through song, and in country music especially, it’s lyrics that have the power to help us see the world in
a way we haven’t seen it before. In doing a show like this, we help people change their perspective.”
Inspiration to keep going
Roberts will return this year to introduce McBride, whose current single “I’m Gonna Love You Through It”
offers hope to those affected by cancer.
“When she is performing that song on stage, people will be looking at this in a way they haven’t before,”
Fisher says. “In changing those hearts, we change minds and awareness and, hopefully, make a difference.”
The show will also include performances by Lauren Alaina, Edens Edge, Kellie Pickler and Ronnie Milsap.
And, for the first time, it will be televised on Great American Country, Fisher says.
In its first two years, the event raised $22,500, Arrowsmith says. Proceeds benefit the ongoing efforts of the
organization to help support breast cancer research and community outreach programs, including the
Women Rock For The Cure Young Survivors Retreat.
The inaugural retreat, which took place in September, included 22 young women affected by breast cancer.
For Arrowsmith, the event was powerful.
“All these women had gone through what I had gone through,” Arrowsmith says.
“To see them connecting and not feeling alone was the most rewarding, incredible feeling. I am still kind of
pinching myself. It reminds me that this is what I need to be doing.”
Music also serves as that reminder.
When she was undergoing treatment, there was one song that always inspired her to keep going: Patty
Griffin’s “Heavenly Day.” Even half a decade later, when she hears it, she remembers and she is inspired.
Chicoan advocates for lymphedema bill - Enterprise-Record – By LARRY MITCHELL -
This is a duplicate of the article about Jan Hasak already above
CBBA PRESENTS A LYMPHEDEMA LASER TO MABS CANCER SUPPORT GROUP. - The
Leader Newspaper Online –
The Costa Blanca Business Association ( WWW.CBBA.ES) is a group of established businesses on the
Northern Costa Blanca .
The members represent a variety of services and trades and all work hard to ensure they offer excellent
products, customer service and value for money.
As well as providing reliable services and promoting each other´s businesses, they also hold events
throughout the year to raise money for local charities.
This year, one of the sponsored charities is MABS Cancer Support Group (www.mabscancersupport.org),
chosen in memory of Frances Sawyer, who was a founder member of MABS and also a member of the
CBBA. .
On 27th September , MABS held a coffee morning at their MABS Sol Park centre. The Centre opened in
June 2009 to provide cancer patients, their families, carers and friends with emotional and practical support
such as confidential counselling by qualified counsellors, and complementary treatments and therapies.
At the coffee morning, the Costa Blanca Business Association presented a lymph control laser machine to
MABS President, Mrs Jacquelyne Phillips MBE .
CBBA´s President, Sr Jesus Francisco Negrillo said ‘ We are delighted that our fundraising so far has been
able to pay for this lymph control laser machine, and we hope that it will bring many benefits to the patients
helped by MABS .
So far this year the CBBA members have taken part in the Race for Life in April, and have held a rastro stall
in Pedregeur in May, raising a total of over €2500 to buy this much needed equipment. On behalf of the
Costa Blanca Business Association , and in memory of Frances Sawyer, we are pleased to present this
equipment to MABS.’
Pictured are CBBA´s President, Sr Jesus Francisco Negrillo , and MABS President, Mrs Jacquelyne
Phillips MBE. Also shown are patient Coral and lymphedema therapist Rachel using the equipment.
CBBA’s next fundraising event is a Halloween Ball on Friday 28 October 2011, to be held at the Oliva
Nova Golf and Beach Resort just outside Oliva, north of Denia. All proceeds will go to MABS.
Tickets are only €30 and include a 3 course dinner with wine, and excellent entertainment by the Joanna
James Jazz Quartet, the Backbeat4 Beatles Tribute Band, and a Spectrum FM DJ. A children´s room with
entertainer is also provided at €11 per child. And the hotel is offering very good overnight rates to support
this event, so you can make a real night of it!
It promises to be a lively and fun event, something to look forward to at the end of summer.
For tickets and all information, please take a look at the website WWW.CBBA.ES, or contact Fiona
Hulme, fhulme@cobrosdirectos.com
Tel 675039952.
October 5, 2011
Lymphedema Therapy is Available in St. Catharines - Wire Service Canada (press release) –
Are you at risk for lymphedema? Do you already have lymphedema?
A St. Catharines, Ontario, lymphedema therapist is now accepting new clients.
St. Catharines, ON---Oct. 5, 2011----Lymphedema Therapy is Available in St. Catharines
St. Catharines, Ontario, lymphedema therapist now accepting new clients.
John Mulligan, a registered massage therapist and a certified lymphedema therapist is now accepting
lymphedema patients at his St. Catharines clinic.
Patients can be seen for:
· Lymphedema assessment, pre-and post surgery.
· Lymphedema Treatment /Complete Decongestive Therapy.
· Preventative and recuperative manual lymph drainage.
· Manual Lymph Drainage for lymphedema, lipedema and related conditions.
· Treatment of swelling due to injury, surgery or other causes.
· Monitoring and measurement charting for patients at risk for lymphedema
Please call 905-687-1828 for appointment.
If you have had treatment for breast cancer you may be at risk for developing lymphedema, which is a
chronic swelling condition. A lymphedema assessment will help in early detection of lymphedema which
makes treatment and management easier and less costly.
Manual lymph drainage can also be used to treat a variety of conditions such as swelling due to injury,
recovery from surgery, acne, lipedema, and more.
Anyone who has had lymph nodes surgically removed is at risk for developing lymphedema. By receiving a
lymphedema assessment you will learn about risk and how to minimize it. You will learn the warning signs of
developing lymphedema and how to recognize them and what can be done about it. Baseline measurements
will be taken and recorded so that, in the future, you will have a record of the normal size of the at risk limb.
This way you will have a documented starting point so we will know if any swelling develops and how
serious it is compared to your baseline measurements.
I have been treating patients with lymphedema and related disorders for 13 years. Please call if you have any
questions or would like to book an appointment.
Please call 905-687-1828 for appointment.
Contact: john@lymphedematherapist.com
Website:www.LymphedemaTherapist.com
October 6, 2011
NH's breast health center offers numerous programs - Stamford Plus Magazine – By Norwalk Hospital
Norwalk, CT - The Smilow Family Breast Health Center of Norwalk Hospital is committed to providing
outstanding breast health care from prevention and screening to diagnosis and treatment.
"We offer integrated breast health care and support and encourage anyone with a breast-related concern
whether it be an abnormal mammogram, a painful lump or a concern about being at risk for breast cancer, to
contact us at the Smilow Family Breast Health Center," said Mary Heery, APRN, AOCNS, of Westport,
Breast Health Specialist.
"We are committed to working with patients and loved ones to help them navigate through the complex
healthcare system, connect them with diagnostic testing when necessary, and direct them to appropriate
support groups, educational programs and social services,” she added.
Dr. Richard Zelkowitz of Westport, Dr. Jeanne Capasse of Fairfield, Dr. George Zahrah of Norwalk and
Dr. Heather Frimmer of Weston, are the medical directors of the Breast Center. They work closely with
Ms. Heery, breast health specialist, and Zarek Mena of Norwalk, the patient navigator; all of whom
collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of experts from Norwalk Hospital and it's nationally accredited
Whittingham Cancer Center.
The Smilow Breast Health Center helps enroll people in education and support programs including:
Support Services
• The Breast Health Specialist Program can benefit those with a breast health concern. Our breast health
specialist is a masters-degree, advanced practice nurse dedicated to educating, supporting and navigating
patients through the complex healthcare system.
• The Connecticut Breast & Cervical Early Detection Program and the Katz Family Community
Mammogram Program offer free screening, education and outreach for eligible women. The primary
objective of both screening programs is to significantly increase the number of women who receive screening
services and diagnostic follow-up, as appropriate. We welcome referrals of any woman who is uninsured or
underinsured.
• The Cancer Genetic Counseling Program can benefit those with a family history of breast cancer by
helping to determine the likelihood of the cancer being inherited. The genetic counselors provide counseling
on the benefits and risks of genetic testing.
• Clinical Cancer Trials are available through the Smilow Family Breast Health Center and the Whittingham
Cancer Center, enabling patients to access promising new treatment not otherwise available.
• Lymphedema assessment for those who have, or are at risk for developing lymphedema.
• Newly Diagnosed Support Group, which offers education and support for women newly diagnosed with
breast cancer and their families. This program is offered the third Wednesday of every month at 9:30 AM in
the Smilow Breast Health Center conference room.
• Crafting Ways to Cope- The Kids Group for children ages five through twelve focuses on the entire family
dynamic while living with cancer. This program is for parents and their children. It is co-facilitated by Cancer
Care.
• Image Enhancement Program provides access to hair prosthetics or specialized bras that may be needed
after surgery or treatment for cancer. A consultant is available to work with patients during and following
treatment for their hair, eyebrow/eyelashes, makeup, and nail care.
• Look Good, Feel Better meets every other month from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Whittingham Cancer Center
conference room. This is a free, non-medical product-neutral program that teaches beauty techniques to
women diagnosed with cancer, who are in active treatment to help them look and feel better. Pre-
registration is required. This program is supported by the American Cancer Society.
• Circle of Friends, which pairs women at all stages of the breast cancer journey with breast cancer
survivors specially trained by the American Cancer Society to provide understanding, support and hope.
Survivorship
• Survivorship Care Plan is a care plan created by a person's medical oncologist and an advance practice
nurse. This care plan gives people an outline of what to do for health maintenance and cancer surveillance
after treatment for cancer.
• Nutrition Counseling is available by appointment. Registered dieticians help people with eating, digestive,
weight or taste issues.
• Cancer Exercise Program is a partnership with the local YMCAs to offer a 12 week, free and
personalized exercise program for people with cancer treated at the Whittingham Cancer Center. This
program can be utilized during or after treatment.
• PATHHways Survivorship Speaker Series is offered to educate the community about pertinent issues
related to cancer. Past topics have included information about genetic counseling, nutrition, yoga and
understanding pathology reports and blood tests. Pre-registration is required.
Complimentary Services
• Music Therapy meets every other Tuesday from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Cancer Center. Our music
therapist visits the chemotherapy infusion room and plays various types of therapeutic music.
• Arts at the Center is offered on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon in the Whittingham Cancer Center
Conference Room. This program provides a stress-free environment emphasizing self-expression and a way
to process feelings.
• The Spiritual Care Services provides ongoing spiritual and emotional support to out-patients and in-
patients. No appointments are necessary.
Integrative Medicine Services
• Medical massage and reflexology therapy is a gentle type of massage that helps relax, relieve pain, calm
the nervous system and improve physical function.
• Reiki therapy, an ancient art of hands on healing, focuses on the energy centers of the body. Reiki eases
discomfort, restores balance and sustains health. It is effective in decreasing fatigue, nausea, pain and anxiety.
• Acupuncture, offered by licensed acupuncturists, use small needles placed in specific areas of the body for
therapeutic relief. Acupuncture promotes a healthy recovery from surgery, relief from pain, nausea and
discomfort and provides a sense of balance and equilibrium between the mind and body.
• Herbal and Supplement Counseling helps individuals optimize their health by educating them on the proper
way to take supplements with prescription medications and prevent potential drug interactions.
• Yoga and Tai-Chi Classes are available.
• Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster is a program for anyone preparing for surgery. This program enables
people to have some control over their surgical experience by the power of positive thinking.
Times and locations can be obtained by calling Integrative Medicine at (203)852-CALM (2256).
For information about any of these programs, or additional programs offered through the Smilow Family
Breast Health Center at Norwalk Hospital, or to speak to the patient navigator, please call (203)852-2300.
KEYWORD NEWS DOC (YAHOO ALERT) (1):
October 1, 2011
Local family organizes first National Walk for Lymphedema and Lymphatic Diseases –
Melrose, Mass. —
(Editor’s note: This story is based on a report that was submitted to the Free Press on behalf of the walk’s
organizers.)
Lymphatic diseases and disorders are estimated to affect millions of people, and possibly hundreds of
millions, worldwide. While some forms of lymphatic disease are apparent at birth or appear suddenly at
puberty, pregnancy or late in life, others result from injury, illness, infection, or from treatments for cancer.
For the Morris family of Melrose, their own struggle has inspired them to work to bring hope to the millions
of other people inflicted with lymphatic disease.
Dottie’s story
Seventeen years ago, Melrose resident Dottie Morris had no reason to question what the doctors were
telling her. When her beautiful baby girl was born with a swollen foot, she trusted the hospital when they told
her it would go away on its own. Many tests and six months later, Dottie started to be concerned, to
demand more answers, and started the journey so many have faced. She was glad, as a first time mother, to
have had those six months to just enjoy her new baby, relatively worry-free.
Ultimately, the Morris family consulted a top vascular surgeon in Boston, who explained that it was
lymphedema. The doctor told them their daughter would have a limited and restricted life, but did little to
offer any encouragement or course of treatment.
Morris did her own research, and found very little on lymphedema. As Morris said, “it was quite a shock to
live amidst a medical Mecca and find absolutely no answers.”
The lymphatic system impacts nearly every organ of the human body, and scientific and medical advances in
lymphatic investigations are likely to contribute to significantly advancing medical research in the related
areas of cancer, inflammation, skin and joint disease, metabolic disease, obesity, autoimmune disease and
organ transplant rejection syndromes.
At 15 months, Melissa had chronic infections in her leg. She suffered 10 infections over just two years.
“It was a long process of experimentation to eventually gain control of chronic infections. We had to develop
our own prophylactic regimen of antibiotics to keep her relatively free of infection,” Dottie said.
This was also around the time that Dottie reached out to another mother, Wendy Chaite, whose daughter,
just a year older than Melissa, had been born with multiple lymphatic disorders. Chaite had left her legal
career to begin a foundation to advance scientific research of the lymphatic system — the Lymphatic
Research Foundation (LRF.)
The hardest part, for the Morris family, has been the lack of a medical support network. Most children born
with a disease or birth defect have a home in the medical community where they can seek information, care,
advice, and family support for coping with the disease. The Morris family has had to go it alone, and, after
17 years, they still don’t know what the future holds for Melissa’s health.
“I know that Melissa has the strength of character to overcome any odds,” said Dottie. “It is my biggest
motivation for supporting LRF’s efforts for change.”
Melissa’s story
“My life is pretty normal.”
When you’re 17, that’s a bold statement.
Melissa says “most teenagers are so wrapped up in their own world that they don’t give my issues a second
thought.”
Her friends support her, but don’t make a bid deal of it, they’re used to it by now. Melissa enjoys spending
weekends with her family outdoors, but has to be careful that she doesn’t get a scrape or a bug bite. These
things, which are summertime annoyances to most, can cause serious infection and long-term problems for
people with lymphedema.
Entering her senior year of high school, college and major changes are on the horizon. As she gets ready for
this next phase of life, she says she’s not concerned that her lymphedema will hold her back. She wears a
specialized garment every day to attempt to keep her lymphedema under control. She can’t understand why
others don’t wear theirs religiously like she does.
As she says, “I’m an ambitious person, and I will not let anything hold me back.”
Melissa and Dottie Morris have taken on the challenge of chairing the first National Walk for Lymphedema
and Lymphatic Diseases in Melrose, which will be held on Oct. 2. (Learn more below, or at walklrf.org).
When asked what she hopes this walk will accomplish, Melissa states, first and foremost, “awareness,”
since many people she encounters don’t even know it exists. She wants to bring light to how these diseases
affect people’s lives.
Ask Melissa about any underlying fears, and she’ll tell you “if I let fear get the best of me, I would never do
anything. I’ll always be able to get past it and do what I want in life. I am into activism, and want to be the
voice for something. My mom is a great role model. I want to stand out from the crowd.”
FYI
The walkathon will be held on Sunday, Oct. 2, at noon, at the Ell Pond Gazebo in Melrose. The goal is to
raise money for the Lymphatic Research Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to advance
research of the lymphatic system and find the cause of and cure for lymphatic diseases, lymphedema and
other related disorders.
For more information and to get involved, visit the LRF website at lymphaticresearch.org.
Copyright 2011 Melrose Free Press. Some rights reserved
October 28, 2011 - New Breast Cancer Treatment Reduces Risk Of Dangerous Side Effect - WISN
Milwaukee –
Lymphedema Causes Fluid Buildup In Limbs
A new way to treat breast cancer is reducing the risks of a common and dangerous side effect.
It's called lymphedema, a condition that causes fluid buildup in the limbs.
Lymphedema occurs when radiation destroys fluid-draining lymph nodes in some patients.
The risk of infection also increases in those women.
Doctors are testing a new technique that pinpoints the locations of lymph nodes.
"The physicians who are planning a woman's radiation can know exactly where those critical nodes are and
avoid them, block them from the radiation field," said Dr. Andrea Cheville of Mayo Clinic.
Studies show the procedure reduces the number of lymph nodes damaged by radiation by more than 55
percent.
October 28, 2011 - St. Mary Medical launches physical therapy at Oxford Valley - Bizjournals.com – by
John George
St. Mary Medical Center has expanded its physical therapy services at off-site locations in the community.
The Langhorne, Pa., hospital this week opened a 2,500 square-foot physical therapy facility in the
Cornerstone Executive Suites near the Oxford Valley Mall, which will focus on orthopedic and muscular
rehabilitation, and expanding services in its adjacent Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine Center to
include lymphedema therapy for the head and neck and lower extremities.
Lymphedema is an abnormal swelling of a body part caused by an excessive buildup of fluid.
In addition, St. Mary Physical Therapy at Cornerstone will introduce a new amputation therapy program
designed to help a patient re-learn skills and improve mobility following the amputation of a limb.
Kimberly Sudac, director of therapies at St. Mary, said the new site and expanded facility are designed to
make the services more convenient for the community’s aging population
Tina, I had to type this whole article from scratch, gave up after 15 minutes of trying to copy. I left out parts
of other Guiness word records and only kept in the parts related to Warren and his lympehdema:
October 25, 2011 - Largest scrotum: Wesley Warren Jr. sets world record (Video) - World Records
Academy -
LAS VEGAS, USA – Wesley Warren, a 47-year-old man from Las Vegas suffers from a scrotal
lymphedema; his body stores watger inside the scrotum, and this prevents him from leading a normal life; his
scrotum weighs more than 100 pounds (nearly 50kg) – setting the world record for the Largest scrotum,
according to World Records Academy (www.worldrecordsacademy.org).
. . .
“It’s not easy to get around,” Warren told the Law Vegas Review –Journal of his 100-pound scrotum. “It
makes me stay in most of the time.”
Warren has trouble getting dressed, breathes heavily, and is forced to use a makeshift pedestal made from a
pillow and milk crate to ease the pain caused by the pendulous mass. When he goes out, he covers himself
in baggy clothes.
Warren was diagnosed with scrotal lympehdema – a debilitating, massive swelling of the scrotum that results
from lymph fluid and tissue buildup.
“Patients reffered with this condition have scrotums so large that the sheer size interferes with walking,”
according to the Center for Reconstructive Urology in Orange, Calif.
An army of medical specialists have examined Warren, but have reached differing diagnoses, including
scrotal elephantiasis, scrotal lympehdema and scrotal edema.
He is asking for donations to help him afford a $1 million surge3ry to remove 100 pounds of tissue from his
scrotum.
He hopes some millionaire hears his story and tries to help.
If you want to do it, you can find him at the following email address: benefitballsack@yahoo.com
October 26, 2011 - St. Mary Medical Center to open 2500 square foot Physical Therapy center near
Oxford Valley Mall - Bucks Local News
St. Mary Medical Center announces the expansion of physical therapy services to offsite locations in the
community. As the population of our region ages, the need for physical therapy services continues to
increase.
To better meet the needs of the community in providing access to therapies that help individuals maintain or
regain their ability to perform activities of daily life, St. Mary is opening a new 2,500 square-foot fully
equipped Physical Therapy facility in the Cornerstone Executive Suites (near Oxford Valley Mall) in
Langhorne and expanding services in its adjacent Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine Center to
include lymphedema therapy for head and neck, and lower extremities.
St. Mary Physical Therapy at Cornerstone
“Physical Therapy can make a real difference in the quality of life for patients who find that an injury or
surgery is limiting their ability to function,” says Kimberly Sudac, Director of Therapies at St. Mary. “We are
excited that access to the quality program we offer now is more conveniently available to residents in our
community.”
Physical Therapy services at Cornerstone will focus on orthopedic and muscular rehabilitation for injury or
troublesome conditions of the hip, knee, shoulder and back. Individuals who have undergone joint
replacement, experienced a musculoskeletal injury or bone trauma, or have a degenerative disease, such as
arthritis or osteoporosis, as well as individuals with sprains, strains, or tendonitis can benefit from a
comprehensive approach to care. The experienced certified therapists at St. Mary integrate the evidence-
based treatment, leading-edge technologies and adaptive techniques to promote recovery. Physical
therapists assist in the recovery process by helping patients regain abilities to perform activities of daily life.
Appropriate goals and treatment plans are individualized for each patient and designed to improve a patient’
s range of motion, muscle strength, endurance, functional mobility, muscle tone and reflexes, and gait
disturbances. Treatment may include patient education, stretching and strengthening activities, endurance and
balance training, use of assistive devices, appropriate bracing for an involved limb, moist heat, ultrasound,
electric stimulation, cyrotherapy, and manual techniques.
Amputation Therapy Program
St. Mary Physical Therapy at Cornerstone will introduce a new Amputation Therapy Program designed to
help a patient re-learn skills and improve mobility to attain the highest level of functional independence
following the amputation of a limb. Amputations often may be the result of peripheral artery disease (PAD),
diabetes, infection, arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), a trauma or serious injury, or cancer in bone
or muscles. The rehabilitation program begins with a comprehensive evaluation and development of an
individualized care plan. The plan focuses on developing the skills a patient post-amputation needs to
improve mobility and resume activities of daily life. Patients may receive training in the use of a prosthesis, an
artificial limb used to improve overall function after an amputation. Patients post-amputation also are offered
guidance in lifestyle changes, pain management and skin care to avoid complications.
“There is a real advantage to our location next to the St. Mary Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine
Center as many of our older patients also struggle with difficult to heal wounds and blood circulation
problems,” says Cindy Malinowski, Outpatient Orthopedic Lead. “Our therapists work closely with
physicians and other medical providers to maintain and improve the overall health of our patients.”
Lymphedema Therapy at Cornerstone
In addition to the Lymphedema Therapy Program available on the St. Mary main campus, a Lymphedema
Therapy Program will be offered beginning in October at the St. Mary Wound Healing and Hyperbaric
Medicine Center in the Cornerstone Executive Suites.
The Lymphedema Therapy Program at Cornerstone will focus on treating swelling of the lower extremities
as a result of certain medical conditions, including chronic venous insufficiency, as well as swelling of the
head and neck, typically occurring as a result of cancer treatment.
Lymphedema is an abnormal swelling of a body part caused by an excessive buildup of fluid. Lymphedema
most often occurs after a lymph node dissection, surgery, and\or radiation, all of which can damage the
lymphatic system during the treatment of cancer. Other causes include venous insufficiency, trauma,
infection, and obesity. Symptoms of lymphedema include swelling of a body part, heaviness and limitation of
movement, recurrent infections, skin thickening or hardening, and pain or discomfort.
Certified Lymphedema Therapists provide treatment for lymphedema called Complete Decongestive
Therapy (CDT). CDT includes manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), compression bandaging, therapeutic
exercise, skin care, compression garment fitting and personalized education in self-care. MLD is a gentle,
hands-on massage that moves lymphatic fluid from the affected area to the healthy parts of the lymphatic
system. After MLD, the affected area is wrapped with layers of compression bandages to prevent
reaccumulation of the lymphatic fluid.
In addition, a medically supervised exercise program is designed to strengthen muscles and improve
circulation and function of the lymphatic system. After the affected body part is decongested, the patient is
fitted for a medical compression garment which would be worn daily to help maintain results achieved during
therapy. Lymphedema therapists also teach patient how to maintain progress through a home maintenance
program and educate them on proper skin to prevent infections.
Lymphedema of Head and Neck
Treatment of head and neck cancer can potentially cause lymphedema and debilitating side effects that affect
a person’s quality of life. The neck is the most common site of lymphedema in patients with head and neck
cancer, but lymphedema can also occur below the chin, in the face, and sometimes inside the mouth. Head
and neck lymphedema can affect vision, eating, speaking, and in some patients, breathing. Complete
decongestive therapy leads to clinical improvement in the majority of patients with head and neck
lymphedema.
Chronic venous insufficiency
In addition to the many diagnoses that Certified Lymphedema Therapists are able to treat, CDT is also
effective in treating patients with Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI). CVI is a condition of poor blood
return from the lower extremities (feet, and legs) to the heart. Risk factors include age, deep vein
thrombosis, diabetes, heart failure, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, smoking, and occupations that require long-
term standing.
CVI diminishes the capacity of the venous system. This increases the workload for the lymphatic system in
the affected area. To compensate for this excess fluid in the tissues, the lymphatic system must transport
larger volumes of fluid load in the affected tissues of the legs. Over time, the lymphatic system fails to
effectively move fluid out of the affected area, and lymphedema develops. This is a serious circulatory
disorder that usually becomes worse over time and can result in disability.
Symptoms are chronic foot or leg swelling, non-healing leg ulcers, varicose veins, pain or pressure, itching,
ache, or heaviness in the affected limb. The skin color of the leg or foot also may become reddish or brown
due to the excessive accumulation of red blood cells.
Decongestive therapy can treat CVI as with other diagnoses that cause lower extremity lymphedema.
Through MLD, compression bandaging, exercise and proper skin care, the incidence of infections and
wounds can be significantly reduced along with the decrease of fluid in the affected body part. Chronic leg
ulcers are a serious complication of CVI. Because of insufficient blood flow, the wounds are difficult to treat
and may become serious infections. These infections may become gangrenous and are potentially life
threatening, and sometimes can lead to amputations.
Antibiotic therapy, diuretic medications and, in some cases, vascular surgery also may be used to treat CVI.
Patients with CVI also can benefit from treatment at the St. Mary Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Oxygen
Center located at the site in which the Lymphedema Program is held.
“Having these therapies conveniently available is a tremendous benefit to our patients with hard-to-heal
wounds,” says Dr. David Brotman, Medical Director of the St. Mary Wound Healing and Hyperbaric
Medicine Center. “It strengthens the level of comprehensive care we can offer to meet the challenging needs
of their often complex medical conditions.”
October 27, 2011 - Lymphedema Treatments - UpNorthLive.com
TRAVERSE CITY -- It was shocking enough for Lois Sudol to learn that she was diagnosed with breast
cancer in 2008. So, when she realized she was experiencing lymphedema after treatment...she was at a loss.
"I didn't expect to get it. I thought I was being careful with my arm, doing my exercises," says Sudol.
Lymphedema is an accumulation of swelling that can happen in most often a lymph, sometimes in the head or
neck area after cancer treatment.
In Sudol's case, it was only a few weeks after her breast cancer treatment.
"I noticed the back of my hand was swollen and I called my oncologist and they had me come in that day
and she told me I had lymphedema and they made me an appointment with Kathy to get therapy right
away," says Sudol.
"Usually a patient will say they have a feeling of heaviness in their arm or sometimes it feels like they can't get
their arm down to their side because their might be swelling underneath their arm," says Kathy Bechtold a
certified lymphedema therapist with Munson Medical Center.
She worked with Sudol on a regular basis in therapy.
"Treatment will be variable depending on the severity of lymphadema. If they have mild lymphadema
sometimes we'll send them for education," says Bechtold.
"Kathy also did lymph drainage on me and then trained me to do that everyday at home," says Sudol.
What's also key to note is that people can get lymphedema at different times after cancer treatment and
there is currently no cure, but it can be properly managed.
"It can occur anytime throughout the person's lifetime. Sometimes immediately and sometimes 25 to 30
years later," says Bechtold.
"I think as a breast cancer survivor we always need to be aware that it's a possibility even if it doesn't
happen right away it can happen 20 years down the road, so I think it's always important to pay attention,"
says Sudol.
You can find out more on Lymphedema on Munson Healthcare's website by clicking here.
October 27, 2011 - NYU College of Nursing receives 450 thousand dollar NIH grant to research post –
breast cancer lymphedea - PhysOrg.com (press release)
New York University College of Nursing (NYUCN) received a two-year, $452,218.00 grant from the
national Institutes of Health (NIH) to research ""Proinflammatory Biomarkers and Post-Breast Cancer
Lymphedema." Post-breast cancer lymphedema (LE), a syndrome of abnormal swelling and multiple
distressing symptoms, is caused by injuries to the lymphatic system from cancer treatment. As advances in
cancer treatment lengthen survival, LE has emerged as a high-impact long-term morbidity that profoundly
impairs survivors' quality of life.
According to Fu, the purpose of this exploratory project is to prospectively examine levels and patterns of
proinflammatory biomarkers and genetic variations in relation to limb volume change measured with the infra-
red perometer-350S over a 12-month period in breast cancer survivors who are at risk for lymphedema.
"Among the 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. more than 40% of them have developed
lymphedema," said NYUCN Assistant Professor Mei Fu, PhD, RN, APRN-BC. "All women undergoing
breast cancer treatment are at lifetime risk for lymphedema."
While removal of lymph nodes, surgery, and radiation are the major causal factors for lymphedema, cancer
treatment is necessary for life-saving. Recent research has revealed that inflammation-infection and higher
body mass index (BMI) are the main predictors of lymphedema besides treatment-related risk.
Unfortunately, these studies did not evaluate biomarkers known for inflammation, and thus the role of
inflammation-infection in limb volume change and lymphedema development could not be ascertained.
Elevated levels of proinflammatory biomarkers have been speculated to be associated with inflammation in
patients with lymphedema. Moreover, genetic variations may be one of the important factors that influence
breast cancer survivors' responses to inflammatory processes and vulnerability to lymphedema, including
survivors' responses to treatment-related trauma (such as surgery and radiation) and triggering factors (such
as infection, burns, minor injuries, and higher BMI or obesity).
The project will employ a prospective, descriptive, and repeated-measure design. A sample of 120 women
who are newly diagnosed and treated for invasive breast cancer will be recruited. Data will be collected to
evaluate levels and patterns of proinflammatory biomarkers and genotypes known for inflammation in
relation to limb volume change.
"This project is an important first step toward gaining necessary knowledge and insights into breast cancer
survivors' susceptibility, which may help to identify survivors at higher risk based on individual survivors'
biomarker patterns and genetic factors," said Fu. "Findings of the project are fundamental in developing and
testing more intense and personalized interventions to prevent and treat LE among the breast cancer
survivors."
Provided by New York University
New treatments for breast cancer patients - WNDU-TV
Many women with breast cancer are left with unwanted, and sometimes devastating, side effects. A new
treatment is making a big difference in the lives of survivors.
There's good news for those with breast cancer: doctors say cure rates are getting better. However, many
women are left with unwanted, and sometimes devastating, side effects. There's a new treatment that's
making a big difference in the lives of survivors.
When Katie Brophy learned she had breast cancer, she wasn't surprised.
"I sort of expected it, obviously when you have a lump, you just assume," says Brophy.
A lumpectomy and radiation took care of her cancer, but left her with the risk of lymphedema, a side effect
of treatment that causes fluid build-up in the limbs.
As an interior designer, that worried her.
"I'm physical. I paint walls. I wallpaper, refinish wood. The last thing you need to do is have an impaired
arm," says Brophy.
Mayo Clinic Doctor Andrea Cheville says radiation may destroy arm-draining lymph nodes. Once they're
damaged, the risk of lymphedema rises, so does the risk of infection.
"It's unattractive and so I think socially it's a very difficult condition for people. Our best hope is to prevent
people from getting it," says Dr. Cheville.
To do that, she's testing a new technique that combines CT scans with SPECT-imaging, that powerful
combo pinpoints exact locations of critical lymph nodes.
"The physicians who are planning a woman's radiation can know exactly where those critical nodes are and
avoid them, block them from the radiation field," says Dr. Cheville.
Studies show it reduces the number of critical lymph nodes that receive harmful radiation by more than 55
percent.
"We treated 30 women. None of those women have developed lymphedema," she says.
Brophy was one of those women.
Dr. Cheville says a big advantage of this approach is many medical centers already have both of these
technologies. Training physicians to use them together may be all that's needed to help women reduce their
risk of lymphedema.
MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS
RESEARCH SUMMARY
BACKGROUND: Between 5 percent and 40 percent of women are estimated to experience some form of
lymphedema after breast cancer surgery; however, the condition is often overlooked or misdiagnosed.
Lymphedema occurs when the lymph system is damaged or blocked. It can cause fluid buildup and swelling
and usually affects an arm or a leg, but it can affect other parts of the body. Lymph fluid, tumors, lymph
vessels and lymph nodes all can play a part in lymphedema.
(SOURCES: www.breastcancer.org, www.cancer.gov)
CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS: Lymphedema can be either primary or secondary. Primary lymphedema is
caused by abnormal development and can occur at birth or develop later in life. Secondary lymphedema is
caused by damage to the lymph system due to infection, injury, cancer, scar tissue, or radiation therapy.
People can be at risk of developing lymphedema if they are obese, smoke heavily, have diabetes or have
had a mastectomy or previous surgery to the armpit area. Along with swelling, people with lymphedema may
experience a feeling of heaviness or tightness in the arm or leg. They may also feel aching or discomfort and
possibly hardening of the skin around the affected area.
(SOURCES: www.cancer.gov, www.breastcancer.org and Mayo Clinic)
NEW PREVENTION TECHNIQUES: Using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)
along with computerized tomography (CT) scans, doctors may be able to offer substantial protection against
lymphedema. Although a person may have as many as 62 lymph nodes under the arm, only a few are
responsible for the removal of fluids from the arm. The SPECT-CT technique works best for patients who
do not require radiation targeting any remaining lymph nodes. The risk of developing lymphedema may be as
much as 50 percent without taking measures to preserve the function of a person's lymphatic system.
Because lymphedema can occur years after a surgery, patients will continue to be monitored by their
physicians for signs of lymphedema. Currently, there are two treatment plans for each patient: a standard
plan and one adapted for lymph node sparing based on the SPECT-CT scans.
October 10, 2011 - Walter Reed National Military Medical Center tests cancer rehabilitation model -
Washington Post - By Judy Graham
Intervene early and prevent disabilities related to cancer from becoming serious.
That’s the focus of a cancer rehabilitation model developed at the National Naval Medical Center in
Bethesda — now part of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center — along with a few other U.S.
medical centers.
This “prospective surveillance model” of cancer rehabilitation involves evaluating patients soon after
diagnosis and then at regular intervals — typically every three months, for up to a year — once treatment is
complete. If emerging problems are identified, they can be addressed promptly.
The center began using this approach with breast cancer patients in 1999. Most fully recovered their range
of motion and other functions 12 months after surgery, according to a 2010 study in the journal Breast
Cancer Research and Treatment.
Costs are also lower when problems such as lymphedema are identified and addressed early on in breast
cancer patients, according to a study published in January in the journal Physical Therapy. Researchers
estimated that treatment for breast-cancer-related lymphedema cost $636.19 a year when the prospective
survellance model was used vs. $3,125 for traditional treatment, which typically does not begin until
lymphedema is advanced and patients are experiencing significant functional limitations.
In February, officials from the American Cancer Society, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the
American Society of Radiation Oncology, the American Physical Therapy Association and other groups met
to review evidence supporting the prospective surveillance model and to consider promoting its widespread
adoption.
Proceedings from that meeting will be published early next year, and this new model of cancer rehabilitation
may eventually become part of patients’ post-treatment plans, said Nicole Stout of Walter Reed. She said
the medical center is working toward making the prospective surveillance model a standard of care for all
cancer survivors.
October 11, 2011 - Lymphedema toll - Regina Leader-Post - By Elaine Arnusch
Your editorial, "Fighting the good fight" in the Tuesday, Oct. 4 edition of the Leader-Post says of the CIBC
Run for the Cure: "The presence of so many former cancer patients in Sunday's runs shows emphatically that
they can lead active, vital lives."
How ironic that 30 per cent of breast cancer survivors and close to 50 per cent of those treated with
radiation, will develop lymphedema a condition that causes long-term disability if not treated promptly and
takes away the chance for "active, vital lives".
Many of these patients cannot work due to this disability, while most incur prohibitive treatment costs and
spend much of their time and energy treating a condition that, with prompt treatment, would be only
temporary. These patients, and I am one, are lost in the good news stories about increased survival rates.
Elaine Arnusch,
Regina
October 12, 2011 - Jessica Bertram: The link between physical therapy and oncology - Taunton Daily
Gazette –
Melrose, Mass. —
I am frequently asked why I would want to work with cancer patients and why I would want to work in
such a seemingly sad and depressing area of physical therapy. I continue to be surprised by this question,
not because cancer itself is without times of pain and loss, but because cancer treatment is always about life.
It’s about saving a life, promoting quality of life or making the end of life as comfortable as possible.
Working everyday at the Hallmark Health Hematology and Oncology Center, I am reminded as I walk the
halls of the building that my co-workers, my patients and their families, the doctors and myself are a part of
something big, something that only a few of us get to witness. It’s the beautiful fight for life during and after
cancer.
I didn’t go to physical therapy school with the intention of working in oncology. I pictured a “glamorous”
career working with professional athletes and healing the rich and famous, but in my second year of school, I
distinctly remember a professor lecturing on cancer and lymphedema.
She spoke passionately about the relationships she had with her patients and the joy of pursuing a career
that impacted her more than she could ever return to her patients. She shared funny stories, sad stories and
stories that left deep impressions on her life and her career.
It was after that lecture I realized that a glamorous career fell short in comparison to being able to impact a
sister, mom, aunt or a grandmother’s life. And so began my journey toward a career path in which now,
years later, I resonate with the passion of my professor.
My entry into the world of oncology started with obtaining further education and a certification in a specialty
field called lymphedema.
Lymphedema is a chronic swelling of the face, arm, breast, leg or trunk. It is often a result of lymph nodes
being removed or damaged during surgery or cancer treatment. Twenty to 45 percent of all breast cancer
survivors will experience symptoms of lymphedema.
Affecting breast cancer survivors
In addition, lymphedema is not limited to only breast cancer survivors, it often affects patients with
melanoma, prostate, ovarian, uterine and head and neck cancers as well. It is a side effect to cancer
treatment that can be debilitating, uncomfortable and life altering.
Because the availability to lymphedema treatment is limited it is often a side effect that goes untreated for
months or years, allowing a gradual progression of the condition until the symptoms become unbearable.
The addition of the lymphedema clinic to Hallmark Health has allowed patients with lymphedema access to
care that was previously not available in this area.
The treatment for lymphedema is determined using an approach based the Complete Decongestive Therapy
(CDT) methods, but is tailored to be unique for each patient. This aspect of lymphedema treatment is what I
find most appealing.
With each patient that comes into the Hallmark Health Lymphedema and Physical Therapy Clinic, I have the
opportunity to create a treatment plan with them that will meet both their individual goals and the medical
aspects of their care. The basic components of CDT are manual lymphatic drainage, compression
bandaging, skin care, exercise and compression garments. It is a combination of these treatment options that
produces long-term swelling reduction and management of lymphedema.
Frequently I get asked that if the swelling is not painful and does not bother me, should I seek treatment for
lymphedema? The answer is yes.
Like many other diseases and conditions, if lymphedema is detected early and treated early then the
outcomes are much improved. A person with lymphedema that allows swelling to remain in the limb and/or
other parts of the body will develop a condition called fibrosis.
Fibrosis is lymphedema swelling that has become hard and is difficulty to treat. Another other risk associated
with allowing lymphedema to persist without treatment is infection. The constant swelling creates stagnant
circulation that significantly increases a person’s risk for infection, wounds and decreased function of the
limb.
For these reasons I encourage co-workers, patients, patient families and doctors to seek out a lymphedema
provider early, before the lymphedema has time to progress.
I cannot imagine myself in a more rewarding profession. I have found that no matter what my goals are as a
clinician if I fail to recognize the aspects of patient care that will improve quality of life, than I will not be
effective. So whether I am treating lymphedema, shoulder pain, cancer-related fatigue or scar tissue
adhesions, it is that collaboration between patient and therapist that creates the environment that I love so
much about cancer care.
Cancer-related side effects seem, on the surface, to be one of those annoying aspects of cancer that are
more of an inconvenience than a problem, but in truth they are conditions that sneak up on the cancer
fighter/survivor and have the potential to frustrate, discourage and rob quality of life.
It is my great opportunity, as a certified lymphedema therapist with Hallmark Health, to dispel the
frustrations and discouragements of lymphedema and offer treatment options for side-effects to cancer
patients so that they can continue their fight against cancer and for life.
Hallmark Health Lymphedema and Physical Therapy Clinic is located at 41 Montvale Ave. in Stoneham.
Jessica Bertram, PT, CLT continues to take new patients. For more information on lymphedema and
physical therapy treatments available at the Hallmark Health Hematology and Oncology Center, call 781-
395-7750.
October 12, 2011 - Pain of swollen arms hits breast cancer patients in the pocket - Baltimore Sun –
Few insurers cover compression garments needed to treat lymphedema
It can be one of the nasty surprises for breast cancer patients.
After the lump, the biopsy, the surgery, the radiation and the chemo, the wig and the mastectomy bathing suit
— as if these things were not enough — suddenly one arm, or both, swells monstrously, painfully.
October 13, 2011 - Augusta Health open house highlights importance of occupational therapy - Staunton
News Leader – Written by Maria Longley
FISHERSVILLE — Few things irritate Jennifer Krzastek more than to watch the actors on a medical TV
drama like "Grey's Anatomy" fail to name the act of delivering occupational therapy.
"They'll show someone clearly receiving occupational therapy and then say it's physical therapy," said
Krzastek, a certified occupational therapist with Augusta Health's outpatient facility. "I get so frustrated
when I see that."
TV writers probably want to oversimplify the term because the discipline is so often misunderstood. People
associate occupational therapy with a type of vocational training, but it actually helps people with a physical,
mental or developmental condition gain the skills they need to live independently and participate in everyday
activities.
"It's gaining skills in the job of living," Krzastek said. "That's one way to sum it up."
Krzastek and other therapists were on hand Wednesday to answer questions at an open house for the
hospital's outpatient occupational therapy center, which recently underwent a renovation. The $30,000
project expanded space and updated the center's therapy equipment.
"We used to be in a small corner back in physical therapy," said therapist Sandy Wagoner.
Patients referred to an occupational therapist are often recovering from a physical injury or a neurologically
disabling condition, such as stroke.
Occupational therapy also can help children with developmental delay and conditions such as autism and
cerebral palsy.
The daily "occupations" that therapist help patients work on include eating, writing, getting dressed and
cooking tasks like chopping vegetables. Therapists help patients work on range of motion, fine motor skills
and visual perception skills. And they teach patients how to use adaptive equipment and gadgets to help
them accomplish tasks on their own. One example is a weighted spoon or pen that can steady the hand of a
patient experiencing tremors. Therapists also adapt items themselves.
Augusta Health's outpatient center employs five occupational therapists, including hand and lymphedema
therapists, as well as a pediatric therapist.
Patients with lymphedema, which is swelling caused by blockage of the lymph passages, can receive
complete decongestive therapy at Augusta Health's outpatient facility. The program combines manual lymph
drainage — a type of light massage to move fluids toward other working lymph passages — bandaging and
the use of compression garments. Breast cancer patients who've had lymph nodes removed from their
underarms and experience swelling in the arms as a result are often referred for the treatment.
The expanded facility now offers private rooms for patients receiving lymphedema therapy.
"It's nice to have that," said Pam Vandevander, an occupational therapist specializing in treating
lymphedema. "Now people can have privacy, we can lower the lights and offer a quiet, comfortable place
for our patients."
While occupational and physical therapies in general aren't considered major moneymakers for a hospital
like heart and vascular tend to be, Augusta Health's therapy programs do pay for themselves, said Scott
Crabtree, director of therapies at Augusta Health.
"We do make our budget," he said.
Crabtree and Augusta Health therapists say there is a plan in the earliest stage to create a neuro-recovery
center, a program into which patients, such as stroke victims who've received occupational therapy, can
transition and continue to receive other therapeutic services.
October 13, 2011 - St. Augustine woman: Learning an important life lesson in breast cancer diagnosis -
Florida Times-Union – by Amy Rankin
I learned a lot of lessons from being diagnosed with breast cancer, but perhaps the biggest one is that cancer
is not a death sentence. When I was diagnosed in 1989 with preschool-age children at home, my only
reference was that my mother had died of breast cancer in 4½ years. I wanted to live to see my children
grow up. I was lucky enough to do so.
I learned that I could stand a lot of pain and discomfort as well as future issues (such as lymphedema)
because, well, it wasn't breast cancer. I learned to listen to my body for signals about my health and to be an
engaged patient. My wonderful oncologist at the Mayo Clinic, Kevin Cockrell, taught me what kind of
doctor to look for - one who is compassionate, knowledgeable and listens to patients. He taught me a
valuable trick to gauge my concerns about aches and pains: the "is it getting better, staying the same or
getting worse" routine, I call it. It helps me measure when I need to have a doctor involved.
Unfortunately I also learned that health insurance is not your friend. They get it wrong most of the time and
fighting them on each denial or charge they won't pay for has saved me thousands over the years. ... And, by
the way, I've learned that most every hospital bill has some error on it. It is worth the fight.
Finally, I learned that there is so much compassion out there. I'm forever grateful to the PGA Tour staff
wives of 1989 who organized a food caravan to my house so we had dinner prepared by someone for 30
days straight. And to Reach to Recovery volunteer Terry who was diagnosed at a young age like I was. She
saved my sanity.
My children are now grown. Breast cancer treatment has advanced so far. I'm still here and have so many to
thank.
October 10, 2011 - Self Massage Treatment for Lymphedema At A Glance - Eva-News (press release) –
A self massage is essentially utilised for enhancement inside the circulation and drainage of lymph. That is
carried out by stimulating the lymphatic vessels by massage. Self massage can be identified as lymphatic
massage.
Typically a lymphedema therapist instructs sufferers on carrying out self massage or lymphatic massage. One
particular must know that this isn’t a point to allow go but is a crucial aspect of controlling lymphedema and
ought to be completed on a regular basis as and when directed.
The self massage is skipped any time a particular person finds out that there’s an infection from the impacted
spot or you can find indicators or indications that an infection is establishing. If it is the situation then the self
massage could be modified as need to have be or skipped absolutely until eventually the infection is
underneath manage.
Also self massage is just not proposed by medical professionals to people who have selected health-related
situations. These ailments involve particular malignant tumors.
1 must plainly recognize the self massage strokes. This can be why you will need to spend consideration to
your therapist that is definitely supplying you with teaching regarding how to perform self massage. This
course of action plus the strokes applied and their sequence are really comparable on the kinds as utilized in
guide lymph drainage.
Self massage is deemed to get a method which is light and carrying it out about the impacted place must not
final result within the skin turning into red and/or the place in which the massage is finished starts off to
damage.
Although equivalent to lymph massage this self massage isn’t exactly the same being a regular muscle mass
massage. Self massage fundamentally encourages lymph drainage. This can be the explanation why only a
certified lymphedema therapist ought to be authorized to massage the lymphedema impacted location
utilizing deep strokes and never any individual else who doesn’t have the understanding or even the expertise.
Strokes inside a self massage regime don’t use a great deal of strain plus the arms aren’t created to slide
above the skin with the impacted place. In lieu of this though massaging palms are utilized to maneuver and
stretch the skin in order to promote movement of lymph from the lymphatic capillaries. These capillaries can
be found proper beneath the skin.
It’s not at all typical to implement any oils and lotions through a self massage remedy therapy because they
consequence in creating the skin slippery. Only if the skin seems to get really dry really should lotion be
utilized just before self massaging. The lotion must be authorized being absorbed ahead of carrying out the
massage.
October 10, 2011 - LAMOND v. ASTRUE - Leagle.com –
Sorry, when I clicked here the first screen was blank and nothing ever came up. When I clicked on the See
all stories on this topic link it said it could find no related articles
October 19, 2011 - Hawthorn Medical Associates expands cancer care with rehab center -
SouthCoastToday.com – By ANIKA CLARK
DARTMOUTH — Hawthorn Medical Associates in Dartmouth will officially launch a new, certified
oncology rehabilitation program Thursday, expanding its care for people who are battling and beating cancer.
Along with the program itself, 15 Hawthorn professionals — ranging from oncologists and nurses to physical
and occupational therapists, a registered dietician and a licensed social worker — have all earned
"Survivorship Training and Rehab" (STAR) certification through the Northboro-based Oncology Rehab
Partners.
Offered to health care professionals and also to programs that train a "multidisciplinary survivorship team,"
STAR certification was developed with a team of clinicians by Dr. Julie Silver, a rehabilitation and physical
medicine doctor, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and a cancer survivor herself, according
to Oncology Rehab Partners.
"When (Silver) was going through her treatment, she was sicker than she had ever been when they said she
was done," said Diane Stokes, co-founder of Oncology Rehab Partners, who said Hawthorn is the first
STAR-certified program in Massachusetts. "That's when her crusade started to just try to advance cancer
rehab with best practices."
The program certification involves a list of online training modules and incorporates implementation and
continuing education, according to Oncology Rehab Partners. Helping cancer patients endure and recover
from the grueling effects of the disease and its cures isn't new to Hawthorn, which offers everything from
endurance building and strength exercises for people who have undergone (or are undergoing) radiation and
chemotherapy to speech therapy, for those with brain cancer-related cognitive damage, and help managing a
problem of fluid retention called lymphedema.
But "it was not as formal, not as well, probably, coordinated between oncology and us," said Sherry
Spencer Brown, a physical therapist, a STAR-certified clinician and a certified lymphedema therapist.
"Now, when the oncology nurses, for example, are working with someone while they're having their
chemotherapy, they're already talking in terms of the importance of ... activity level."
STAR, she explained, "afforded us an opportunity to have a very good evidence-based program put
together that allowed us all to kind of share a similar foundation of information."
In the newly launched program, cancer patients are also identified earlier for rehabilitation, according to
Brown and Deborah Days Fraine, an occupational therapist, a STAR-certified clinician, a certified hand
therapist and manager of the newly renovated Hawthorn Medical Rehabilitation Center. That center works
not only with cancer patients but also a diverse population including orthopedic patients, stroke survivors,
people with neuromuscular diseases, people who have had traumatic hand injuries or surgeries, people with
lymphedema (which may or may not be linked to cancer) and people with vertigo.
Thanks to STAR certification, "the front line is identifying more; the nurses are more aware of what we can
do for (cancer patients), and they're more able to identify people that can use our services," Fraine said. "So
we'll be servicing a bigger population but we'll also be servicing as a team. ... We'll be aware of what each
person on the team can contribute."
Officials from Southcoast Hospitals Group and St. Anne's Hospital in Fall River said that while they don't
have STAR-certified staff, they offer oncology rehabilitation and have professionals certified in lymphedema
therapy and a variety of other services.
"Oncology, as a condition that medical people are working with, has evolved a lot because of the science
and the research behind it," said Lisen Cameron, a manager of rehabilitation services for Southcoast
Hospitals Group. "And as they learn more about how to treat the disease, it causes all of us to change the
way we go about taking care of patients and trying to make their life as meaningful as it can be."
Brown also described wider philosophical shifts in oncology rehab from an approach that is more problem-
oriented to one that's more proactive.
"The more traditional model is that a woman would be sent to rehab because, after having a mastectomy,
she is having problems reaching over her shoulder," Brown explained. "The evidence is showing that,
previously, people didn't have a lot of rehab intervention when they finished their acute cancer treatment, and
what they found is that people were not reaching their maximum potential."
While Hawthorn's oncology rehabilitation services program works with cancer "survivors," this refers to a
broad swath of people. "They can jump into the program at all different times. It could be while they're still
on chemo or having radiation. It could be pretty soon after they're diagnosed," said Fraine, who described
how receiving rehab services during treatment can help cancer patients recover faster, return to work
quicker, and bolster their spirits.
"We consider 'survivorship' from the day they're diagnosed," she said.
October 18, 2011 - Man with giant testicles - The Sun – By HARRY HAYDON -
AMERICAN Wesley Warren Jr has told how he needs a $1million operation to remove his SEVEN
STONE testicles.
The 47-year-old has suffered in silence with the enormous growth on his scrotum but is now pleading for
help so he can get life-changing surgery.
His testicles have grown so large that he cannot wear jeans or trousers anymore and lives on a diet of
antibiotics and medications.
Instead Wesley, from Las Vegas, US, has to wear a hoodie - placing his legs in the arms and using the hood
to support the growth.
Wesley said: "It's not easy to get around, it makes me stay in most of the time."
But he refuses to let his unfortunate condition get him down, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
He added: "I want to have real friends and a relationship with a woman.
But I'm not suicidal. I'm too strong for that.”
October 19, 2011 - GPA Promotes Early Detection Lymphedema Screening - MarketWatch (press
release) –
Advancing women's health remains core focus for third party administrator
DALLAS, Oct 19, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Group & Pension Administrators, Inc., (GPA) one of the
largest third-party benefit administrators in the Southwestern United States and an active promoter of
women's health, today announced that it strongly endorses Lymphedema screening in pre- and post-surgical
breast cancer patients.
When breast cancer is diagnosed, treatment may include chemotherapy, radiation, and/or surgery. While
these treatments have proved to increase the breast cancer cure rate, one potential side effect is
Lymphedema, a debilitating chronic disorder causing limb swelling and inflammation.
"For years, GPA has encouraged its clients to offer mammography screening, an instrumental measure in
early detection of breast cancer," began Barbara Derlein, Director of HealthWatch, GPA. "Based on recent
research, we now recommend Lymphedema screening to help prevent an unnecessary chronic complication
of breast cancer treatment, and offer this benefit to our employees."
Derlein added, "Typically, our health plan groups cover mammography screening at age 40 or 45,
depending on plan design. When a group elects GPA wellness services, we provide health education and
active promotion of breast cancer and Lymphedema screenings."
In a recent position paper, the National Lymphedema Network (NLN) recommended all breast cancer
patients receive pre- and post-treatment measurements on both arms, and consistent measurements
throughout their treatment, and that practitioners use bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) or infared
perometry as opposed to a tape measure. These precautions have proved to reduce the occurrence of
Lymphedema.
GPA's own health plan offers its employees coverage for this testing procedure with the use of the
spectroscopy with the Lymphedema index (L-Dex) measurement system and has partnered with L-Dex to
offer this new paradigm of Lymphedema management.
"As a wellness and prevention champion, GPA strongly promotes health plan coverage for oncologists to
clinically assess the early stages of Lymphedema because it is the right thing to do for the patient and plan,"
said Kathy Enochs, COO for GPA. "GPA has long been an advocate in advancing women's health, and we
continue to stay on top of leading healthcare research and trends to ensure our groups and members stay as
healthy as possible."
"Before the early identification of Lymphedema using bioimpedience spectroscopy, the method of
measurement available to physicians was not sophisticated enough to detect the minute changes in
extracellular fluid that occur before clinically noticeable," said Dr. Alison Laidley, Texas Breast Specialists,
Texas Oncology. "Early identification and treatment of pre-clinical Lymphedema is so important to
preventing a life-long complication that can so easily be prevented when diagnosed early. In the future this
test may also help to identify the earliest signs of Lymphedema in patients with other types of cancer."
Lymphedema effects up to one-third of the 180,000 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients annually and
2.3 million breast cancer survivors in the United States according to The Avon Foundation for Women white
paper of April 2011.
About Group & Pension Administrators, Inc.
Group & Pension Administrators, Inc. (GPA) is the largest independently owned third-party administrator
(TPA) in the Southwest, providing highest-quality and custom healthcare benefit management solutions to
discerning self-insured employers. For over 40 years, GPA has combined its value of service excellence
with a commitment to customers, employing industry-leading technology, tools and -- above all -- "high-
touch" patient care to deliver the healthiest employees and the "healthiest" bottom line. In fact, GPA's
customized wellness solution, BeWell(SM), earned a Gold Award and was recognized nationally by the
Wellness Council of America for producing outstanding results. Featured customers benefiting from GPA
health initiatives: The Container Store, named to FORTUNE magazine's list of "100 Best Companies to
Work For," and the City of McKinney, selected as one of the Healthiest Cities in North Texas by Live
Healthy America. GPA, along with several of its clients, was also named to Dallas Morning News' Top 100
Places to Work in 2010. For more information, visit gpatpa.com.
SOURCE: Group & Pension Administrators, Inc.
October 23, 2011 - Pain of swollen arms hits breast cancer patients in the pocket - Detroit Free Press –
BY SUSAN REIMER
BALTIMORE -- It can be one of the nasty surprises for breast cancer patients.
After the lump, the biopsy, the surgery, the radiation and the chemo, the wig and the mastectomy bathing suit
-- as if these things were not enough -- suddenly one arm, or both, swells monstrously, painfully.
It is lymphedema. And nobody warned you about it.
"I never expected it. I never even heard of it," said Tia Neale, a breast cancer patient who lives in Owings
Mills, Md.
She is resting on an examining table at Mercy Medical Center while therapist Maureen McBeth gently
massages her chest, stomach, arm and hand, doing manually what Neale's lymphatic system isn't doing on its
own anymore -- helping push fluids into the circulatory system and out of the body.
The massage treatment takes about an hour and Neale travels to Mercy two to three times a week -- she
used to come daily -- to control the swelling.
As soon as McBeth finishes, she helps Neale wrestle her arm and hand into a tight-fitting sleeve and glove.
Called compression garments, they will continue to do what McBeth's gentle fingertips have been doing.
Neale must wear the sleeves 24 hours a day, probably for the rest of her life. Lymphedema -- the result of
damage or removal of lymph glands during breast cancer treatment -- can be controlled, but it can't be
cured.
"It's not like you can put lymph nodes back," said McBeth, who manages cancer rehab for Mercy. "For
more people, this is lifelong."
The compression garments cost anywhere from $50 to $2,000 each. Most must be custom-made to fit the
patient's measurements. You need two so one can be washed, and a different, specialized garment to wear
at night. You might need to replace them every six months.
And here is the other nasty surprise: Medicare doesn't pay for these compression garments and, because
Medicare sets the coverage standard, few private insurers pay for them either.
"It is adding insult to injury," said McBeth, who massages more than her patients' hands and arms. She
works whatever angles she can to find private money to help her patients pay for these garments.
"Every soccer-playing kid in America has a pair of spandex shorts, and my patients can't get the garments
they need," she said.
There is a bill in Congress, HR 2499, called the Lymphedema Diagnosis and Treatment Cost Saving Act,
that would require Medicare to cover the diagnosis and treatment of lymphedema, including the manual
lymph draining that McBeth does and the compression garments that can be so expensive. Such a change in
Medicare coverage would likely trigger a similar change among private insurers.
"It is insulting that Medicare would cover erectile dysfunction and not this," said McBeth. "Compression is
the only thing that works. There is no medicine, and there is no substitute. It is medically necessary, and it
isn't covered."
Lymphedema is not just another embarrassing disfigurement caused by breast cancer. And discomfort and
limited range of motion are not the only side effects.
The protein-rich fluid that collects under the skin is the perfect breeding ground for cellulitis, an aggressive
infection that can be provoked by something as simple as a paper cut and can require weeks of
hospitalization and heavy-duty antibiotics.
Its early and energetic treatment is just the kind of preventive care that can keep any number of the
estimated 1.5 million to 3 million sufferers covered by Medicare out of the hospital.
A change in the law would also produce a change in awareness. Most breast cancer patients, like Neale,
never heard of lymphedema because their doctors never brought it up.
A diagnosis of breast cancer produces a laundry list of important matters to be discussed. But McBeth is
convinced that pre-treatment measurements and careful monitoring after treatment can manage the swelling
and the pain and reduced mobility that so often result.
"I know I can help every patient I see," said McBeth, who lectures nationally on treating lymphedema. "But I
don't have the resources and my patients don't have the money. I shouldn't have to say that I wish I'd win
the lottery to take care of them."
October 8, 2011 - 'Ethnodrama' to Raise Awareness About Lymphedema - Saskatoonhomepage.ca –
Holy Cross High School will be the home of an ethnodrama tonight (sat) on the challenges of living with the
aftermath of breast cancer surgery.
5 centres across the country are hosting the event, including Saskatoon.
The intent is to raise awareness for arm problems that arise following breast cancer surgery, and the impact
those problems have on work, leisure, and relationships.
A core group of survivors have developed the drama to highlight the personal side of Lymphedema.
The ethnodrama is tonight at 7 o'clock, at Holy Cross High School.
October 20, 2011 - Charity drive in the pink - Middle East North Africa Financial Network –
This event has passed sorry
October 20, 2011 - Health Break - WEAU-TV 13 –
Lymphedema — swelling in arms and legs after lymph nodes are removed or damaged — can affect cancer
survivors. In this presentation, cancer experts will explain lymphedema, discuss ways to manage the
condition and answer your questions from 6:30 to ...
Tina, unfortunately this one above went to a menu that search found nothing for health break or lymphedema
and clicking on the se all stories on this topic brought up a page saying nothing could be found
October 21, 2011 - reast Assured exercise can help – ChicagoNow – By Andrea Metcalf -
October is National Breast cancer awareness month. Women in the United States get breast cancer more
than any other type of cancer except for skin cancer. It is second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer
death in women. Exercise is a great step in helping reduce your risk of breast cancer and survival rate as
well.
Here are 5 reasons you should start exercising now:
HORMONE HELP - Exercise pumps up the immune system and lowers estrogen levels. With as little as
four hours of exercise per week, a woman can begin to lower her risk of breast cancer. Those who
exercised at least four hours a week during their leisure time had a 37 percent lower risk of developing
breast cancer compared with those who were sedentary.
TAKE PAUSE- Exercise is a contributing factor to reducing the risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal
women. About 70% of women diagnosed with breast cancer each year are over age 50, and almost half are
age 65 and older.
BENCH PRESS PUMP -Exercise, specifically strength training, helps reduce the chances of lymphedema
occurrences in survivors. In a study at the University of Pennsylvania conducted by the National Institutes of
Health, 14% of the exercisers experienced a flare-up in their lymphedema, compared with 29% of the non-
exercisers after one year.
TRAIN LIKE A GIRL - High levels of moderate and vigorous physical activity during adolescence has
been found to reduce risks greater than starting later in life. Although the best time to start is now, being role
models to our daughters is sage advice too.
KEEP LEAN - Physical activity may prevent cancer by assisting with weight maintenance to avoid a high
body mass and excess body fat. People who are obese have an abnormally high and unhealthy proportion of
body fat. Obesity and physical inactivity may account for 25 to 30 percent of several major cancers
including breast cancer.
Andrea Metcalf is a healthy lifestyle spokesperson, author of Naked Fitness ( Vanguard Press ) and
advocate for Bebrightpink.org. Also check out more inspirational news with Kilamanjaro blogs featuring
stories about women surviving ovarian cancer.
KEYWORD DOCS – YAHOO ALERTS:
October 28, 2011 - NIH awards $452,218 for research on proinflammatory biomarkers and post-breast
cancer lymphedema - News-Medical-Net –
The research aims to investigate breast cancer patients' susceptibility to lymphedema by evaluating
biomarker patterns and genetic factors
New York University College of Nursing (NYUCN) received a two-year, $452,218.00 grant from the
national Institutes of Health (NIH) to research "Proinflammatory Biomarkers and Post-Breast Cancer
Lymphedema." Post-breast cancer lymphedema (LE), a syndrome of abnormal swelling and multiple
distressing symptoms, is caused by injuries to the lymphatic system from cancer treatment. As advances in
cancer treatment lengthen survival, LE has emerged as a high-impact long-term morbidity that profoundly
impairs survivors' quality of life.
According to Fu, the purpose of this exploratory project is to prospectively examine levels and patterns of
proinflammatory biomarkers and genetic variations in relation to limb volume change measured with the infra-
red perometer-350S over a 12-month period in breast cancer survivors who are at risk for lymphedema.
"Among the 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. more than 40% of them have developed
lymphedema," said NYUCN Assistant Professor Mei Fu, PhD, RN, APRN-BC. "All women undergoing
breast cancer treatment are at lifetime risk for lymphedema."
While removal of lymph nodes, surgery, and radiation are the major causal factors for lymphedema, cancer
treatment is necessary for life-saving. Recent research has revealed that inflammation-infection and higher
body mass index (BMI) are the main predictors of lymphedema besides treatment-related risk.
Unfortunately, these studies did not evaluate biomarkers known for inflammation, and thus the role of
inflammation-infection in limb volume change and lymphedema development could not be ascertained.
Elevated levels of proinflammatory biomarkers have been speculated to be associated with inflammation in
patients with lymphedema. Moreover, genetic variations may be one of the important factors that influence
breast cancer survivors' responses to inflammatory processes and vulnerability to lymphedema, including
survivors' responses to treatment-related trauma (such as surgery and radiation) and triggering factors (such
as infection, burns, minor injuries, and higher BMI or obesity).
The project will employ a prospective, descriptive, and repeated-measure design. A sample of 120 women
who are newly diagnosed and treated for invasive breast cancer will be recruited. Data will be collected to
evaluate levels and patterns of proinflammatory biomarkers and genotypes known for inflammation in
relation to limb volume change.
"This project is an important first step toward gaining necessary knowledge and insights into breast cancer
survivors' susceptibility, which may help to identify survivors at higher risk based on individual survivors'
biomarker patterns and genetic factors," said Fu. "Findings of the project are fundamental in developing and
testing more intense and personalized interventions to prevent and treat LE among the breast cancer
survivors."
October 26, 2011 - Lymphedema Treatments - TV 7&4 Traverse City – by Melissa Smith
TRAVERSE CITY -- It was shocking enough for Lois Sudol to learn that she was diagnosed with breast
cancer in 2008. So, when she realized she was experiencing lymphedema after treatment...she was at a loss.
"I didn't expect to get it. I thought I was being careful with my arm, doing my exercises," says Sudol.
Lymphedema is an accumulation of swelling that can happen in most often a lymph, sometimes in the head or
neck area after cancer treatment.
In Sudol's case, it was only a few weeks after her breast cancer treatment.
"I noticed the back of my hand was swollen and I called my oncologist and they had me come in that day
and she told me I had lymphedema and they made me an appointment with Kathy to get therapy right
away," says Sudol.
"Usually a patient will say they have a feeling of heaviness in their arm or sometimes it feels like they can't get
their arm down to their side because their might be swelling underneath their arm," says Kathy Bechtold a
certified lymphedema therapist with Munson Medical Center.
She worked with Sudol on a regular basis in therapy.
"Treatment will be variable depending on the severity of lymphadema. If they have mild lymphadema
sometimes we'll send them for education," says Bechtold.
"Kathy also did lymph drainage on me and then trained me to do that everyday at home," says Sudol.
What's also key to note is that people can get lymphedema at different times after cancer treatment and
there is currently no cure, but it can be properly managed.
"It can occur anytime throughout the person's lifetime. Sometimes immediately and sometimes 25 to 30
years later," says Bechtold.
"I think as a breast cancer survivor we always need to be aware that it's a possibility even if it doesn't
happen right away it can happen 20 years down the road, so I think it's always important to pay attention,"
says Sudol.
You can find out more on Lymphedema on Munson Healthcare's website by clicking here.
October 23, 2011 - Pain of swollen arms hits breast cancer patients in the pocket - Detroit Free Press –
This is a duplicate of the Google Alert doc already above
October 18, 2011 - Hospital helps breast cancer patients deal with lymphedema - Sun-Sentinel –
For about six years Michelle Mitchell, a physical therapist and one of the few certified lymphedema
therapists in the area, has been helping breast cancer survivors cope, treat and prevent lymphedema with her
work at Wellington Regional Medical Center's Outpatient Rehabilitation Department.
Lymphedema is caused by a blockage in the lymphatic system, an important part of the immune and
circulatory systems, Mitchell said. Often these blockages can happen when a patient has undergone breast
cancer treatment because the lymph node has been damaged or removed during treatment. These blockages
prevent lymph fluid from draining well, and as the fluid builds up, swelling can occur in the chest, arm and
hand, she said.
Does every person who has breast cancer treatment develop lymphedema?
No, and no one is exactly sure why. In some cases women won't develop lymphedema for 20 years after
their treatment. Although any time there is damage to the lymphatic system patients are always at risk. Age
and diet don't play into the development of this progressive chronic disease, and although there is no cure
there are many treatments and precautions that can be taken.
October 29, 2011 - Manual Lymphatic Drainage therapy offers relief for plastic surgery patients - La Jolla
Light - By Stephen M. Krant, MD, FACS –
As shown in a recent survey conducted by the American Massage Therapy Association, 90% of Americans
believe in the therapeutic benefits of massage. But while many individuals associate massage with relief from
muscle tension, they may be unaware of the additional benefits that can be achieved through specific
therapeutic approaches to the practice. An experienced masseuse can offer substantial relief and pain
management to individuals suffering from a variety of chronic or trauma-induced conditions ranging from
arthritis to sports injury to lymphedema. When properly administered by a qualified professional, massage
therapy is an effective and enjoyable supplement to any healthcare regimen – as well as an ideal way to
detoxify the body, reduce swelling, relieve stress and eliminate tension.
In my practice as a cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgeon, I often encounter post-operative swelling
and, in some cases, occurrences of lymphedema in my breast reconstruction patients. Defined as an
abnormal buildup of fluids and cell wastes in the tissue spaces that occur when the lymph system is damaged
(either by surgery, radiation, injury or a pre-existing abnormality), lymphedema is classified as either primary
or secondary depending on the manner in which is appears. Lymphatic massage is a type of therapeutic
massage that can help alleviate lymphedema symptoms; and because of its many beneficial qualities, we have
transferred our experience treating breast reconstruction patients with lymphedema to all of our surgical
patients in order to maximize both recovery and aesthetic results. Manual lymphatic drainage massage
involves the application of pressure and soft tissue manipulation to help release toxins, reduce swelling and
aid in swift post-operative recovery. When administered by an experienced massage therapist, this proven
technique can help cosmetic and reconstructive patients alike.
Comprehensive care and massage treatment options at SK Sanctuary San Diego
At SK Sanctuary, we are committed to providing patients and clients with the best in both medical care and
spa-style relaxation – a mission ideally represented by our diverse range of medical, therapeutic and
pampering massage services. Normal swelling occurs following any surgical procedure; and the SK
Sanctuary Manual Lymphatic Drainage massage has proven dramatically effective as a supplemental
treatment for our post-operative patients. Recipients experience a rejuvenating form of medical care as well
as all the other benefits of massage including stress and tension release and increased circulation.
Our massage practitioners offer a broad menu of other massage packages, including European,
aromatherapy, rolling stones and chair massages, as well as couples and maternity massages. To learn more
or schedule an appointment, visit us online: www.sk-sanctuary.com.
October 30, 2011 - Breast cancer treatment can lead to swelling condition - Dayton Daily News – By
Robin McMacken -
But lymphedema can be effectively managed, relieved, experts say.
The early findings of a study by the University of Dayton confirm a common side effect of breast cancer
treatment — a painful limb-swelling condition known as lymphedema — affects the quality of life for
patients, yet it can be effectively managed through exercise and physical therapy.
This spring, Mary Fisher, assistant professor of the physical therapy program at UD’s department of health
and sport science, collected data from 79 women without breast cancer and 50 women with breast cancer.
“Across the board, women with breast cancer had more disability and lower function of the arms and lower
quality of life.” In the breast cancer group, the participants — who were from 30 to 69 years of age —
underwent their initial cancer treatment anywhere from one to 15 years ago.
Fisher estimates anywhere from 12 percent to 30 percent of breast cancer patients will develop secondary
lymphedema.
Lymphedema is a buildup of lymph fluid in the fatty tissues just under the skin, according to Dr. Melissa
Roelle, medical director for the High Risk Breast Center at Miami Valley Hospital South. This buildup
causes swelling (or edema) most often in the arms for breast cancer patients. Lymphedema can result from
surgery or radiation therapy to treat the cancer.
“It can be mild, which in most cases it is,” Roelle added, or so severe there is limited mobility in the wrist,
fingers and elbow because the arm is so tight.
Fisher added the extent of the breast cancer surgery, the number of lymph nodes involved and a high Body
Mass Index increase the risk of a woman developing lymphedema.
Weightlifting may play a key role in preventing lymphedema, according to research last year from the
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Overall, the investigators found that a slowly progressive
weightlifting regimen did not increase the women’s chances of getting lymphedema.
In fact, weightlifting cut the risk of developing the condition during the yearlong study by 35 percent: Eleven
percent of women in the weightlifting treatment group developed lymphedema, compared to 17 percent of
those in the control group, who did not change their normal physical activity level.
Leatha Boone, 65, knows firsthand the limitations lymphedema can pose since her 1999 modified radical
mastectomy during which she had 23 lymph nodes removed. Since her right arm is bigger than her left arm –
along with the added bulk of the compression sleeve and glove she wears – finding clothes that fit well is a
challenge. She turns to her trusty sewing machine to craft garments that are flattering.
“Sometimes my arm gets tight, and it feels like my skin is going to pop,” said the Riverside resident, who
participated in the UD study. “My lymphedema isn’t painful, but it is an inconvenience.”
“Lymphedema can develop anywhere during the person’s whole spectrum of treatment. It could be during
radiation or chemotherapy or it could develop 10 or 20 years later,” explained Theresa Walchner, a physical
therapist and Lymphology Association of North America-certified lymphedema specialist at Good
Samaritan Hospital.
She said the condition is chronic, but it can be managed through a healthy lifestyle, including exercise, a
sensible diet and maintaining ideal weight.
In addition to exercise, other components of treatment for lymphedema include proper skin hygiene to
eliminate bacterial and fungal growth; manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) to allow the limb to return to near
normal size; and bandaging and compression to help maintain the size of the arm.
Life adjustments
Gail Counts, an area physical therapist who is certified in MLD and complete decongestive therapy, said it is
essential that patients understand lymphedema and make the necessary lifestyle adjustments.
To maintain her lymphedema, Boone exercises daily and wears a compression sleeve and glove during the
day. At night, she switches to a JoViPak arm sleeve. Three times a week, Boone uses the Flexitouch
system, which is essentially a programmable pneumatic compression device that mimics MLD and mobilizes
the lymphatics to remove excess fluid from the compromised regions of the body and into the functioning
vascular system.
“I am pretty much able to do what I could do before the breast cancer,” said Boone, who also attends a
lymphedema support group the second Monday of each month in Beavercreek.
October 30, 2011 – St. Mary opens new physical therapy center - phillyBurbs.com - By Jo Ciavaglia -
MIDDLETOWN — St. Mary Medical Center has opened a new 2,500 square-foot physical therapy
center in Middletown and expanded its nearby wound healing and hyperbaric medicine center to include
lymphedema therapy for the head, neck and lower body.
Physical Therapy services at the Cornerstone Executive Suites will focus on orthopedic and muscular
rehabilitation for injury or troublesome conditions of the hip, knee, shoulder and back. The new center also
will offer an amputation therapy program designed to help a patient re-learn skills and improve mobility to
attain the highest level of independence following the amputation of a limb.
The lymphedema therapy program will focus on treating swelling of the lower extremities as a result of
certain medical conditions, including chronic venous insufficiency, as well as swelling of the head and neck,
typically occurring as a result of cancer treatment.
Lymphedema is an abnormal swelling of a body part caused by an excessive buildup of fluid. Lymphedema
most often occurs after a lymph node dissection, surgery or radiation, all of which can damage the lymphatic
system during the treatment of cancer.
October 30, 2011 - Secondary Lymphedema in the cancer patient - WHIO Radio – By Steve Wilson -
The Dayton Daily News spent the entire month of October giving our readers special and in-depth coverage
for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
In today's story they look at a painful limb-swelling condition known as lymphedema.
A study by the University of Dayton confirm a common side effect of breast cancer treatment is
lymphedema.
Lymphedema is a condition characterized by swelling in one or more extremities that results from impaired
flow of the lymphatic system.
There's no cure for lymphedema, but it can be controlled.
Today's article concerns secondary lymphedema which affects both men and women.
In women, it is most prevalent in the upper limbs after breast cancer surgery.
Occupational Therapist - Minot Daily News –
MEDICAL HELP WANTED
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST
Full-time position. Mon.- Fri. day shift with some weekend coverage required. Job duties include but not
limited to: Orthopaedics, Vestibular, Incontinence, Fibromyalgia, Lymphedema, Pool Therapy, Skilled,
Home Health and Care Center. Occupational Therapy License required. Sign-on bonus and paid CEU's.
HOSPITAL PHARMACIST
Full-time position. Mon.- Fri. 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. but will require flexibility. Job will primarily be in the
hospital pharmacy at both Wright Medical Center and Belmond Medical Center and will float as needed in
the retail pharmacy at Wright Medical Center. Position will be required to be on a call rotation and work
every fourth Saturday morning. Hospital pharmacy experience preferred.
Positions offer outstanding wages & fringe benefits. Please stop by and pick up an application, apply on-line
at www.wrightmed.com or contact the Human Resouces Department at 515-602 9801 to receive an
application by mail. All positions are subject to criminal/department adult abuse background checks, pre-
employment physical and drug testing.
WRIGHT MEDICAL CENTER
1316 S. MAIN STREET
CLARION, IA 50525
Wright Medical CENTER
Breast cancer 'not a death sentence' - Taunton Daily Gazette – By Deborah Allard –
FALL RIVER —
In the waiting room of Charlton Memorial Hospital’s Southcoast Center for Cancer Care, Juanita
Thompson sang softly to a tune that she alone could hear from her iPod.
Thompson, a breast cancer survivor, had a mastectomy about a year ago and several rounds of
chemotherapy. Despite losing her hair and a breast, the spiritual woman has found a renewed sense of joy.
“I’ve come out of this with a brand new mind, body and spirit,” Thompson said. “It’s really not a death
sentence. It’s made me think about life and make every minute of it count.”
Thompson, like most who suffer from breast cancer, has gone on to live a long and healthy life — a far cry
from what women endured not so many years ago when little was known about breast cancer.
Today, there are some 50 forms of chemotherapy, hormonal agents and targeted therapies that work
together to kill breast cancer cells, not to mention surgical options, radiation therapy and clinical trials,
according to materials from Saint Anne’s Hospital’s Regional Cancer Care center.
Susan O’Brien, an oncology nurse practitioner at Saint Anne’s Hospital, said breast cancer has become
more chronic than fatal.
“Once a woman is diagnosed, it’s a journey that she undertakes,” O’Brien said. “It’s so wonderful that these
women with breast cancer are living so long.”
O’Brien said breast cancer survival rates have been incredibly improved even since she started at Saint
Anne’s Hospital 25 years ago. Because of advances made in drugs and in education, more women are
diagnosed with curable Stage I and II cancers, rather than at more advanced stages.
The five-year survival rates for Stage I and II breast cancer now ranges from 74 to 88 percent, according to
the American Cancer Society. The survival rates for stage III and IV breast cancer are as high as 67 percent.
Until the 1960s — and later, in some cases — survival rates were very low, and the disease often resulted in
death. People thought breast cancer was embarrassing, and it was a hushed topic that often resulted in a
late, if any, diagnosis.
Dr. William Stewart Halsted is credited with being one of the fathers of modern American surgery at Johns
Hopkins University Hospital in the late 1800s. He developed the radical mastectomy, which consisted of
removing the entire breast, the underlying chest wall muscles and all lymph nodes in the armpit, according to
the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project.
The deforming operation resulted in a concave appearance, O’Brien explained. Women who underwent the
procedure often sought to wear a heavy prosthetic breast afterward.
This procedure was the standard breast cancer surgery for decades, until brothers Drs. Bernard and Edwin
Fisher challenged the radical mastectomy in the 1960s.
Today, doctors know that mastectomy has the same end result as lumpectomy plus radiation for most
women. Those undergoing mastectomy do not lose as much tissue as in decades past.
Until 25 years ago, women also underwent 14 cycles of chemotherapy lasting for 14 months, as opposed to
today’s roughly four months of chemotherapy.
“I never thought I would die,” said Margaret McCaffrey, who had breast cancer in 1995. Now retired, she
is a greeter at the Hudner Oncology Center at Saint Anne’s Hospital.
Because most women live with breast cancer, there is a whole new population of women in follow-up care
for years after their surgery or treatments. For them, living with breast cancer is the new normal.
For Thompson, follow-up care has included doctor’s visits every three months and monthly blood work.
Breast cancer can also result in complications. Thompson experienced lymphedema in her arm, a swelling of
the tissue, due to the surgery.
O’Brien said there are many “immediate and long-term effects.”
Besides lymphedema, patients can suffer from cognitive difficulties, low energy and depression. They may
also suffer effects to the heart and lungs, or go into early menopause, which can lead to osteoporosis.
Follow-up care generally consists of following any side effects, and includes hormone therapy for some.
Support groups, yoga, meditation and spiritual retreats are also part of what is offered at local hospitals.
Thompson attends a monthly support group where she is free to talk about her experience with breast
cancer and other topics.
“I love it,” Thompson said. “Talking about it helps other women through it. We lift each other up.”
Thompson plans to have reconstructive surgery in the near future, and is also planning on getting gastric
bypass surgery to lose weight. Now 51, she has begun computer programming classes at Bristol Community
College, something the mother of five has wanted to do for decades.
“I want to live,” Thompson said. “I want to enjoy the rest of my life. I feel wonderful.”
Email Deborah Allard at dallard@heraldnews.com.
Copyright 2011 The Taunton Gazette. Some rights reserved
October 2, 2011
Sutter Cancer Center gears up for quilt auction - Sacramento Bee – By Anita Creamer -
To kick off Sutter Cancer Center's quilt auction, several committee members, as well as Mary Pare, a
registered nurse with the Sutter breast cancer navigator program, will talk about the comfort and value of
quilts at 10 a.m. Monday.
Since its inception in 1999, the quilt auction – which is held every three years – has raised more than
$425,000 for Sutter Cancer Center programs, including the breast cancer navigator program, nutrition
classes and lymphedema education. Quilters from throughout the region have donated more than 1,900
quilts for the auction over the years.
This year's auction quilts will be on display throughout the cancer center beginning Monday. Visitors can fill
out bid sheets in person, and a live auction is scheduled for 10 a.m. Nov. 5. Information is available at www.
biddingforgood.com/ smcfoundation.
The cancer center, 2800 L St., Sacramento, is open to the public from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Woman injured, home damaged in fire - Enterprise-Record - By ROBIN EPLEY –
Had to search site for the matching article, was not the one that came up:
Chicoan advocates for lymphedema bill - By LARRY MITCHELL
CHICO — In November, Jan Hasak of Chico plans to lobby in Washington for a bill to help patients
affected by a little-known condition, lymphedema.
Hasak suffers from lymphedema herself. It causes parts of the body — often the arms or legs — to swell
and leaves the patient susceptible to serious infections.
It often occurs when the lymphatic vessels and/or lymph nodes are damaged or inadequate.
Hasak said her lymphedema began in 1997, after she had surgery for breast cancer, and some of her lymph
nodes were removed. That's a common cause of lymphedema, she said.
It's estimated about 5 million Americans, including up to 3 million Medicare beneficiaries, have lymphedema,
she said.
Treatment for the condition involves several weeks of gentle massage by a lymphedema therapist, she said.
The liquid causing the swelling is dispersed throughout the body by the massages.
After being treated, patients do the massages themselves. Also, they wear special sleeves and bandages to
compress the affected part of the body and prevent the swelling from recurring.
While there is treatment, no cure exists for lymphedema, Hasak said. "It's a lifelong condition. There's no
getting rid of it."
The problem Hasak and other members of an organization called the Lymphedema Advocacy Group are
addressing is that Medicare does not cover the cost of the sleeves and bandages patients need.
Made of synthetic fabric, the sleeves, which last for six months, cost $65 to $80, and the bandages run
about $100 a roll, she said.
Patients who can afford them, or whose private insurance helps cover them, sometimes use more elaborate
sleeves which are much easier to manage than bandages that involve wrapping, she said. These can run
around $600.
Hasak and her group are promoting HR 2499, the Lymphedema Treatment Act.
She said the measure would save Medicare a lot of money. People who can't afford the sleeves and
bandages don't use them, and as a result sometimes contract aggressive infections, which must be treated in
the hospital with intravenous antibiotics.
"The Lymphedema Advocacy Group says Medicare spends hundreds of millions of dollars every year
treating largely preventable lymphedema infections," said Hasak, a retired patent attorney who is on the
group's board of directors.
In January, she said she met with Rep. Wally Herger, R-Chico, about HR 2499 and found him "very
sympathetic."
She said the bill will come up for a vote before the House Subcommittee on Health, which Herger chairs.
Hasak is among board members of the advocacy group who plan to meet with Herger and other lawmakers
when they spend several days in Washington in November.
After her cancer recurred in 2003, Hasak decided to write a book about her experience with the disease.
"Mourning Has Broken: Reflections on Surviving Cancer" was published in 2008. Two years later, she
published a book of poetry, "The Pebble Path: Returning Home from a Forest of Shadows."
After her cancer returned, Hasak became an advocate for patients and for progress in treating cancer and
lymphedema.
"When I got it again, it seemed like a wake-up call," she said. "I felt I needed to be helpful."
Staff writer Larry Mitchell can be reached at 896-7759 or lmitchell@chicoer.com.
On the web: www.lymphnet.org
October 3, 2011
A Breast Cancer Cure? : The Natural Way to Beat Breast Cancer - SN Health & Fitness – Holly St. Lifer,
Prevention
-
Exercise cuts your odds of getting cancer or a recurrence. And it can be your best defense against the rigors
of treatment.
If you've gone through breast cancer surgery and treatment, working out is probably the last thing you feel
like doing. In fact, as recently as 15 years ago, doctors actually would have discouraged you from exercising
during and after treatment. But today the reasons to lace up a pair of sneakers are indisputable: Exercise can
halve your risk of breast cancer recurrence, according to the Harvard Nurses' Health Study, and women
who exercise are 50% more likely to survive breast cancer than those who don't work out.
6 Answers About Mammograms
What makes exercise such a potent breast cancer weapon?
"To get breast cancer, you need a mutated cell—a cell you've inherited or one that's been damaged by
radiation, a virus, or another carcinogen—and a local environment that's encouraging the cells to grow," says
Susan Love, MD, a leading authority on the disease. Because exercise naturally decreases levels of
inflammation, reduces stress, and helps you maintain a healthy weight, it changes your body chemistry,
creating a less hospitable environment for cancer to grow. In fact, being active during your lifetime can
reduce your risk of breast cancer by about 23%, according to researchers at the Harvard School of Public
Health.
Try This Cancer Quashing Marinade
How Exercise Helps Recovery
Working out can reduce your risk of getting breast cancer, but if you do develop the disease, different types
of exercise can also improve your recovery. Here, tested and proven suggestions for integrating fitness into
your treatment plan every step of the way.
17 Unexpected Ways Exercise Helps Your Health
During Treatment
Stay energized
Breaking a sweat boosts energy, emotional resilience, and physical strength—all of which you need during
breast cancer treatment. One German study found that a group of cancer patients receiving high-dose
chemotherapy who exercised daily for 30 minutes felt significantly less fatigue than those who didn't work
out. They also experienced less fear and anxiety. And a study from Copenhagen found that a combination of
cardio and strength training boosted energy in chemo patients. Any type of exercise can help. Just listen to
your body and go at your own pace.
Immediately After Treatment
Stay flexible
It's the removal of lymph nodes during a lumpectomy or mastectomy—not the excision of breast tissue—
that's usually the source of post-op pain. You may be tempted to take a break until this underarm tenderness
dissipates, but don't: Stiffness and a loss of range of motion can result if you don't commit to a stretching
routine soon after surgery. Here, three exercises created by Doreen Puglisi, an exercise physiologist, breast
cancer survivor, and founder of the Pink Ribbon Program, a Pilates-based post-op exercise program.
Starting 1 week after surgery, do the moves every other day or daily for best results.
Months After Treatment
Stay strong
Progressive weight training for the arms, chest, and back will allow you to regain your pretreatment strength
and ease the symptoms of lymphedema—a painful swelling in the arm that can occur after lymph node
removal—by up to 70%. Perform these moves with 1-or 2-pound weights, suggests Janette Poppenberg,
the creator of the DVD
Strength & Courage: Exercises for Breast Cancer Survivors. If you have lymphedema, wear a compression
arm sleeve.
CMH to host annual 'Pink Bag Luncheon' Friday - Bolivar Herald Free Press –
Tina – this is promoting a lunch that has already happened on Friday, sorry
Manual Lymph Drainage Class Comes to D'Arcy Lane Massage School - Wire Service Canada –
John Mulligan, a registered massage therapist and certified lymphedema therapist who resides and practices
in St. Catharines, Ontario, is slated to teach a certification class in manual lymph drainage for massage
therapists at D’Arcy Lane School of Massage in London, Ontario in early November, 2011.
Manual Lymph Drainage is a manual therapy technique that encourages the free flow of lymphatic fluid in the
body. This powerful modality can be used to promote wound healing, injury recovery, swelling reduction,
and detoxification and to promote lymphatic recovery after surgery or other trauma. It is distinct from
traditional massage therapy in that it is focused on the lymph system and does not target the muscles or
vascular system.
DATES:
Thursday November 3, 2011 to Sunday November 6, 2011 (8:00 am to 8:00 pm)
This 4 day, 40 hour intensive class offers certification in Manual Lymph Drainage.
Each participant will be trained in the techniques of Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD). Upon completion of
the class, the therapist will be able to successfully perform the techniques. Each participant will be able to
differentiate between varieties of edema, as well as understand the application, medical indications and
contraindications for MLD. The therapist will be able to establish an MLD treatment plan for individual
clients.
This class has been approved by the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario for 20 Continuing Education
Units (CEU’s).
John Mulligan is a registered massage therapist and a member of the College of Massage Therapists of
Ontario. He is also certified by the Lymphology Association of North America.
Although information about lymphedema will be included in this course, this is not a lymphedema therapy
certification course.
For more information contact info@darcylane.com or John@LymphedemaTherapist.com.
Manual Lymph Drainage Class Comes to D'Arcy Lane Massage School - Wire Service Canada –
This is a duplicate of the previous article, sorry
CMH Rehabilitation Services Offers Relief from Lymphedema - Wilmington News Journal, OH –
Lymphedema refers to swelling that generally occurs in one of your arms or legs. Although lymphedema
tends to affect just one arm or leg, sometimes both arms or legs may be swollen.
Following any type of breast surgery such as mastectomy, lumpectomy, or reconstruction, the soft tissues
around the shoulder, chest and under arms may be affected. Tightness, stiffness, pain, and lymphedema or
swelling may occur which can result in decreased mobility of your arm and generalized discomfort in the
chest area.
CMH physical therapist Rachel Duncan is a certified lymphedema therapist (CLT) and is able to treat
women and men with lymphedema of the upper and lower extremities. A physician referral is needed for her
service, but she can be reached at 383-7722.
Radiation treatment for cancer can cause scarring and inflammation of your lymph nodes or lymph vessels,
restricting flow of lymph fluid. Cancer cells can cause lymphedema if they block lymphatic vessels. For
instance, a tumor growing near a lymph node or lymph vessel could become large enough to obstruct the
flow of the lymph fluid.
There’s no cure for lymphedema, but it can be controlled. Controlling lymphedema involves diligent care of
your affected limb.
If you’re at risk of developing secondary lymphedema, you can take measures to help prevent it. If you’ve
had or are going to have cancer surgery, ask your doctor whether your particular procedure will involve
your lymph nodes or lymph vessels. Ask if your radiation treatment will be aimed at any of your lymph
nodes, so you’ll be aware of the possible risks.
To reduce your risk of lymphedema, try to:
• Protect your arm or leg. Avoid any injury to your affected limb. Cuts, scrapes and burns can all invite
infection, which can result in lymphedema.
• Protect yourself from sharp objects. For example, shave with an electric razor, wear gloves when you
garden or cook, and use a thimble when you sew. If possible, avoid medical procedures, such as blood
draws and vaccinations, in your affected limb.
• Rest your arm or leg while recovering. After cancer treatment, avoid heavy activity with that limb. Early
exercise and stretching are encouraged, but avoid strenuous activity until you’ve recovered from surgery or
radiation.
• Avoid heat on your arm or leg. Don’t apply heat, such as with a heating pad, to your affected limb.
Elevate your arm or leg. When you get a chance, elevate your affected limb above the level of your heart, if
possible.
• Avoid tight clothing. Avoid anything that could constrict your arm or leg, such as tight fitting clothing and, in
the case of your arm, blood pressure readings. Ask that your blood pressure be taken in your other arm.
Keep your arm or leg clean. Make skin care and nail care high priorities. Inspect the skin on your arm or leg
every day, keeping watch for changes or breaks in your skin that could lead to infection. Don’t go barefoot
outdoors.
October 4, 2011
North state marketplace: October 4 - Record-Searchlight –
Lymphedema group to meet Saturday
The Lymphedema Support Group will meet from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday at Burch Physical Therapy at 320
Hartnell Ave. in the Cobblestone Business Park in Redding. The topic will be edema management with short
stretch bandages.
Call 226-9242 or 221-6584 for more information.
October 4, 2011
Music brings momentum to cancer-fighting nonprofit - The Tennessean – by Jessica Bliss -
Every time Jensen Arrowsmith hears the first few beats of Green Day’s “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” she
pauses.
The song immediately takes her back to 2005, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“I can be in the car, the grocery store, and no matter where I am, I remember that time in my life,” says the
33-year-old.
The power of those musical pulses is what inspired Arrowsmith and three of her closest friends to create
Women Rock For The Cure, a local nonprofit committed to fighting the disease through the creativity and
influence of the entertainment industry.
Since 2007, Women Rock For The Cure has partnered with Nashville’s Komen affiliate to help raise money
and find new ways to increase breast cancer awareness locally — particularly as it affects women and men
in their 20s, 30s and 40s.
The organization has three signature music events: Pink Trash Ball, the Women Rock For The Cure benefit
concert, and this month’s Opry Goes Pink, which on Oct. 22 will flip the switch on the Grand Ole Opry’s
barn backdrop, turning it the signature pastel hue while headliner Martina McBride takes the stage.
So far, nearly $100,000 has been raised. And the beat is getting stronger.
“I think music has the amazing ability to move people, and what better way to fight breast cancer than
through the power of music?” Arrowsmith says. “Whether it is the melody or the lyrics, there is something
magical about music that brings people together, and there is strength in numbers.”
Music reaches people
Arrowsmith was just
27 when the doctor discovered a lump in her breast. Her thoughts turned to her future.
“I haven’t gotten married, I haven’t had kids, I haven’t traveled the world,” she remembers thinking. “I am
not done yet. So whatever I need to do to still be here, I am going to do.”
And she did. She had surgery, radiation, chemotherapy. She survived.
And then she took it a step further. She helped create an organization that would help others survive, too.
It began during her recovery, when she took a job as manager of publicity for a local independent record
label. She also joined the Society of Leaders in Development (SOLID), an organization for young music
business professionals, and met Liz Lee Schullo, Rebekah Lee Beard and Tara Austin.
After sharing her story with the women, they realized breast cancer touched each of their lives in some way.
With their ties to the music industry, and support from SOLID, they set out to organize an all-female, writer-
in-the-round benefit concert — later called Women Rock For The Cure — to help raise awareness and
funds for SOLID’s Race for the Cure team.
Music fans, cancer patients and survivors, and Music Row insiders filled the sold-out show, the first of
which was held at 3rd & Lindsley. After two years, the women decided to make Women Rock For The
Cure a nonprofit and rock pink all year round.
In 2009, Women Rock For The Cure partnered with the Grand Ole Opry to present the annual “Opry
Goes Pink” event. Multiplatinum country artist Carrie Underwood headlined the show and ABC’s Good
Morning America host and breast cancer survivor Robin Roberts served as the guest announcer.
“Music is a business of emotion, and in order to get people to act, we need to move them,” Grand Ole Opry
Vice President and General Manager Pete Fisher says. “Whether it’s breast cancer awareness, whether it’s
music education, or whether it’s raising important dollars and awareness for other important causes.
“It’s through song, and in country music especially, it’s lyrics that have the power to help us see the world in
a way we haven’t seen it before. In doing a show like this, we help people change their perspective.”
Inspiration to keep going
Roberts will return this year to introduce McBride, whose current single “I’m Gonna Love You Through It”
offers hope to those affected by cancer.
“When she is performing that song on stage, people will be looking at this in a way they haven’t before,”
Fisher says. “In changing those hearts, we change minds and awareness and, hopefully, make a difference.”
The show will also include performances by Lauren Alaina, Edens Edge, Kellie Pickler and Ronnie Milsap.
And, for the first time, it will be televised on Great American Country, Fisher says.
In its first two years, the event raised $22,500, Arrowsmith says. Proceeds benefit the ongoing efforts of the
organization to help support breast cancer research and community outreach programs, including the
Women Rock For The Cure Young Survivors Retreat.
The inaugural retreat, which took place in September, included 22 young women affected by breast cancer.
For Arrowsmith, the event was powerful.
“All these women had gone through what I had gone through,” Arrowsmith says.
“To see them connecting and not feeling alone was the most rewarding, incredible feeling. I am still kind of
pinching myself. It reminds me that this is what I need to be doing.”
Music also serves as that reminder.
When she was undergoing treatment, there was one song that always inspired her to keep going: Patty
Griffin’s “Heavenly Day.” Even half a decade later, when she hears it, she remembers and she is inspired.
Chicoan advocates for lymphedema bill - Enterprise-Record – By LARRY MITCHELL -
This is a duplicate of the article about Jan Hasak already above
CBBA PRESENTS A LYMPHEDEMA LASER TO MABS CANCER SUPPORT GROUP. - The
Leader Newspaper Online –
The Costa Blanca Business Association ( WWW.CBBA.ES) is a group of established businesses on the
Northern Costa Blanca .
The members represent a variety of services and trades and all work hard to ensure they offer excellent
products, customer service and value for money.
As well as providing reliable services and promoting each other´s businesses, they also hold events
throughout the year to raise money for local charities.
This year, one of the sponsored charities is MABS Cancer Support Group (www.mabscancersupport.org),
chosen in memory of Frances Sawyer, who was a founder member of MABS and also a member of the
CBBA. .
On 27th September , MABS held a coffee morning at their MABS Sol Park centre. The Centre opened in
June 2009 to provide cancer patients, their families, carers and friends with emotional and practical support
such as confidential counselling by qualified counsellors, and complementary treatments and therapies.
At the coffee morning, the Costa Blanca Business Association presented a lymph control laser machine to
MABS President, Mrs Jacquelyne Phillips MBE .
CBBA´s President, Sr Jesus Francisco Negrillo said ‘ We are delighted that our fundraising so far has been
able to pay for this lymph control laser machine, and we hope that it will bring many benefits to the patients
helped by MABS .
So far this year the CBBA members have taken part in the Race for Life in April, and have held a rastro stall
in Pedregeur in May, raising a total of over €2500 to buy this much needed equipment. On behalf of the
Costa Blanca Business Association , and in memory of Frances Sawyer, we are pleased to present this
equipment to MABS.’
Pictured are CBBA´s President, Sr Jesus Francisco Negrillo , and MABS President, Mrs Jacquelyne
Phillips MBE. Also shown are patient Coral and lymphedema therapist Rachel using the equipment.
CBBA’s next fundraising event is a Halloween Ball on Friday 28 October 2011, to be held at the Oliva
Nova Golf and Beach Resort just outside Oliva, north of Denia. All proceeds will go to MABS.
Tickets are only €30 and include a 3 course dinner with wine, and excellent entertainment by the Joanna
James Jazz Quartet, the Backbeat4 Beatles Tribute Band, and a Spectrum FM DJ. A children´s room with
entertainer is also provided at €11 per child. And the hotel is offering very good overnight rates to support
this event, so you can make a real night of it!
It promises to be a lively and fun event, something to look forward to at the end of summer.
For tickets and all information, please take a look at the website WWW.CBBA.ES, or contact Fiona
Hulme, fhulme@cobrosdirectos.com
Tel 675039952.
October 5, 2011
Lymphedema Therapy is Available in St. Catharines - Wire Service Canada (press release) –
Are you at risk for lymphedema? Do you already have lymphedema?
A St. Catharines, Ontario, lymphedema therapist is now accepting new clients.
St. Catharines, ON---Oct. 5, 2011----Lymphedema Therapy is Available in St. Catharines
St. Catharines, Ontario, lymphedema therapist now accepting new clients.
John Mulligan, a registered massage therapist and a certified lymphedema therapist is now accepting
lymphedema patients at his St. Catharines clinic.
Patients can be seen for:
· Lymphedema assessment, pre-and post surgery.
· Lymphedema Treatment /Complete Decongestive Therapy.
· Preventative and recuperative manual lymph drainage.
· Manual Lymph Drainage for lymphedema, lipedema and related conditions.
· Treatment of swelling due to injury, surgery or other causes.
· Monitoring and measurement charting for patients at risk for lymphedema
Please call 905-687-1828 for appointment.
If you have had treatment for breast cancer you may be at risk for developing lymphedema, which is a
chronic swelling condition. A lymphedema assessment will help in early detection of lymphedema which
makes treatment and management easier and less costly.
Manual lymph drainage can also be used to treat a variety of conditions such as swelling due to injury,
recovery from surgery, acne, lipedema, and more.
Anyone who has had lymph nodes surgically removed is at risk for developing lymphedema. By receiving a
lymphedema assessment you will learn about risk and how to minimize it. You will learn the warning signs of
developing lymphedema and how to recognize them and what can be done about it. Baseline measurements
will be taken and recorded so that, in the future, you will have a record of the normal size of the at risk limb.
This way you will have a documented starting point so we will know if any swelling develops and how
serious it is compared to your baseline measurements.
I have been treating patients with lymphedema and related disorders for 13 years. Please call if you have any
questions or would like to book an appointment.
Please call 905-687-1828 for appointment.
Contact: john@lymphedematherapist.com
Website:www.LymphedemaTherapist.com
October 6, 2011
NH's breast health center offers numerous programs - Stamford Plus Magazine – By Norwalk Hospital
Norwalk, CT - The Smilow Family Breast Health Center of Norwalk Hospital is committed to providing
outstanding breast health care from prevention and screening to diagnosis and treatment.
"We offer integrated breast health care and support and encourage anyone with a breast-related concern
whether it be an abnormal mammogram, a painful lump or a concern about being at risk for breast cancer, to
contact us at the Smilow Family Breast Health Center," said Mary Heery, APRN, AOCNS, of Westport,
Breast Health Specialist.
"We are committed to working with patients and loved ones to help them navigate through the complex
healthcare system, connect them with diagnostic testing when necessary, and direct them to appropriate
support groups, educational programs and social services,” she added.
Dr. Richard Zelkowitz of Westport, Dr. Jeanne Capasse of Fairfield, Dr. George Zahrah of Norwalk and
Dr. Heather Frimmer of Weston, are the medical directors of the Breast Center. They work closely with
Ms. Heery, breast health specialist, and Zarek Mena of Norwalk, the patient navigator; all of whom
collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of experts from Norwalk Hospital and it's nationally accredited
Whittingham Cancer Center.
The Smilow Breast Health Center helps enroll people in education and support programs including:
Support Services
• The Breast Health Specialist Program can benefit those with a breast health concern. Our breast health
specialist is a masters-degree, advanced practice nurse dedicated to educating, supporting and navigating
patients through the complex healthcare system.
• The Connecticut Breast & Cervical Early Detection Program and the Katz Family Community
Mammogram Program offer free screening, education and outreach for eligible women. The primary
objective of both screening programs is to significantly increase the number of women who receive screening
services and diagnostic follow-up, as appropriate. We welcome referrals of any woman who is uninsured or
underinsured.
• The Cancer Genetic Counseling Program can benefit those with a family history of breast cancer by
helping to determine the likelihood of the cancer being inherited. The genetic counselors provide counseling
on the benefits and risks of genetic testing.
• Clinical Cancer Trials are available through the Smilow Family Breast Health Center and the Whittingham
Cancer Center, enabling patients to access promising new treatment not otherwise available.
• Lymphedema assessment for those who have, or are at risk for developing lymphedema.
• Newly Diagnosed Support Group, which offers education and support for women newly diagnosed with
breast cancer and their families. This program is offered the third Wednesday of every month at 9:30 AM in
the Smilow Breast Health Center conference room.
• Crafting Ways to Cope- The Kids Group for children ages five through twelve focuses on the entire family
dynamic while living with cancer. This program is for parents and their children. It is co-facilitated by Cancer
Care.
• Image Enhancement Program provides access to hair prosthetics or specialized bras that may be needed
after surgery or treatment for cancer. A consultant is available to work with patients during and following
treatment for their hair, eyebrow/eyelashes, makeup, and nail care.
• Look Good, Feel Better meets every other month from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Whittingham Cancer Center
conference room. This is a free, non-medical product-neutral program that teaches beauty techniques to
women diagnosed with cancer, who are in active treatment to help them look and feel better. Pre-
registration is required. This program is supported by the American Cancer Society.
• Circle of Friends, which pairs women at all stages of the breast cancer journey with breast cancer
survivors specially trained by the American Cancer Society to provide understanding, support and hope.
Survivorship
• Survivorship Care Plan is a care plan created by a person's medical oncologist and an advance practice
nurse. This care plan gives people an outline of what to do for health maintenance and cancer surveillance
after treatment for cancer.
• Nutrition Counseling is available by appointment. Registered dieticians help people with eating, digestive,
weight or taste issues.
• Cancer Exercise Program is a partnership with the local YMCAs to offer a 12 week, free and
personalized exercise program for people with cancer treated at the Whittingham Cancer Center. This
program can be utilized during or after treatment.
• PATHHways Survivorship Speaker Series is offered to educate the community about pertinent issues
related to cancer. Past topics have included information about genetic counseling, nutrition, yoga and
understanding pathology reports and blood tests. Pre-registration is required.
Complimentary Services
• Music Therapy meets every other Tuesday from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Cancer Center. Our music
therapist visits the chemotherapy infusion room and plays various types of therapeutic music.
• Arts at the Center is offered on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon in the Whittingham Cancer Center
Conference Room. This program provides a stress-free environment emphasizing self-expression and a way
to process feelings.
• The Spiritual Care Services provides ongoing spiritual and emotional support to out-patients and in-
patients. No appointments are necessary.
Integrative Medicine Services
• Medical massage and reflexology therapy is a gentle type of massage that helps relax, relieve pain, calm
the nervous system and improve physical function.
• Reiki therapy, an ancient art of hands on healing, focuses on the energy centers of the body. Reiki eases
discomfort, restores balance and sustains health. It is effective in decreasing fatigue, nausea, pain and anxiety.
• Acupuncture, offered by licensed acupuncturists, use small needles placed in specific areas of the body for
therapeutic relief. Acupuncture promotes a healthy recovery from surgery, relief from pain, nausea and
discomfort and provides a sense of balance and equilibrium between the mind and body.
• Herbal and Supplement Counseling helps individuals optimize their health by educating them on the proper
way to take supplements with prescription medications and prevent potential drug interactions.
• Yoga and Tai-Chi Classes are available.
• Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster is a program for anyone preparing for surgery. This program enables
people to have some control over their surgical experience by the power of positive thinking.
Times and locations can be obtained by calling Integrative Medicine at (203)852-CALM (2256).
For information about any of these programs, or additional programs offered through the Smilow Family
Breast Health Center at Norwalk Hospital, or to speak to the patient navigator, please call (203)852-2300.
KEYWORD NEWS DOC (YAHOO ALERT) (1):
October 1, 2011
Local family organizes first National Walk for Lymphedema and Lymphatic Diseases –
Melrose, Mass. —
(Editor’s note: This story is based on a report that was submitted to the Free Press on behalf of the walk’s
organizers.)
Lymphatic diseases and disorders are estimated to affect millions of people, and possibly hundreds of
millions, worldwide. While some forms of lymphatic disease are apparent at birth or appear suddenly at
puberty, pregnancy or late in life, others result from injury, illness, infection, or from treatments for cancer.
For the Morris family of Melrose, their own struggle has inspired them to work to bring hope to the millions
of other people inflicted with lymphatic disease.
Dottie’s story
Seventeen years ago, Melrose resident Dottie Morris had no reason to question what the doctors were
telling her. When her beautiful baby girl was born with a swollen foot, she trusted the hospital when they told
her it would go away on its own. Many tests and six months later, Dottie started to be concerned, to
demand more answers, and started the journey so many have faced. She was glad, as a first time mother, to
have had those six months to just enjoy her new baby, relatively worry-free.
Ultimately, the Morris family consulted a top vascular surgeon in Boston, who explained that it was
lymphedema. The doctor told them their daughter would have a limited and restricted life, but did little to
offer any encouragement or course of treatment.
Morris did her own research, and found very little on lymphedema. As Morris said, “it was quite a shock to
live amidst a medical Mecca and find absolutely no answers.”
The lymphatic system impacts nearly every organ of the human body, and scientific and medical advances in
lymphatic investigations are likely to contribute to significantly advancing medical research in the related
areas of cancer, inflammation, skin and joint disease, metabolic disease, obesity, autoimmune disease and
organ transplant rejection syndromes.
At 15 months, Melissa had chronic infections in her leg. She suffered 10 infections over just two years.
“It was a long process of experimentation to eventually gain control of chronic infections. We had to develop
our own prophylactic regimen of antibiotics to keep her relatively free of infection,” Dottie said.
This was also around the time that Dottie reached out to another mother, Wendy Chaite, whose daughter,
just a year older than Melissa, had been born with multiple lymphatic disorders. Chaite had left her legal
career to begin a foundation to advance scientific research of the lymphatic system — the Lymphatic
Research Foundation (LRF.)
The hardest part, for the Morris family, has been the lack of a medical support network. Most children born
with a disease or birth defect have a home in the medical community where they can seek information, care,
advice, and family support for coping with the disease. The Morris family has had to go it alone, and, after
17 years, they still don’t know what the future holds for Melissa’s health.
“I know that Melissa has the strength of character to overcome any odds,” said Dottie. “It is my biggest
motivation for supporting LRF’s efforts for change.”
Melissa’s story
“My life is pretty normal.”
When you’re 17, that’s a bold statement.
Melissa says “most teenagers are so wrapped up in their own world that they don’t give my issues a second
thought.”
Her friends support her, but don’t make a bid deal of it, they’re used to it by now. Melissa enjoys spending
weekends with her family outdoors, but has to be careful that she doesn’t get a scrape or a bug bite. These
things, which are summertime annoyances to most, can cause serious infection and long-term problems for
people with lymphedema.
Entering her senior year of high school, college and major changes are on the horizon. As she gets ready for
this next phase of life, she says she’s not concerned that her lymphedema will hold her back. She wears a
specialized garment every day to attempt to keep her lymphedema under control. She can’t understand why
others don’t wear theirs religiously like she does.
As she says, “I’m an ambitious person, and I will not let anything hold me back.”
Melissa and Dottie Morris have taken on the challenge of chairing the first National Walk for Lymphedema
and Lymphatic Diseases in Melrose, which will be held on Oct. 2. (Learn more below, or at walklrf.org).
When asked what she hopes this walk will accomplish, Melissa states, first and foremost, “awareness,”
since many people she encounters don’t even know it exists. She wants to bring light to how these diseases
affect people’s lives.
Ask Melissa about any underlying fears, and she’ll tell you “if I let fear get the best of me, I would never do
anything. I’ll always be able to get past it and do what I want in life. I am into activism, and want to be the
voice for something. My mom is a great role model. I want to stand out from the crowd.”
FYI
The walkathon will be held on Sunday, Oct. 2, at noon, at the Ell Pond Gazebo in Melrose. The goal is to
raise money for the Lymphatic Research Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to advance
research of the lymphatic system and find the cause of and cure for lymphatic diseases, lymphedema and
other related disorders.
For more information and to get involved, visit the LRF website at lymphaticresearch.org.
Copyright 2011 Melrose Free Press. Some rights reserved
October 28, 2011 - New Breast Cancer Treatment Reduces Risk Of Dangerous Side Effect - WISN
Milwaukee –
Lymphedema Causes Fluid Buildup In Limbs
A new way to treat breast cancer is reducing the risks of a common and dangerous side effect.
It's called lymphedema, a condition that causes fluid buildup in the limbs.
Lymphedema occurs when radiation destroys fluid-draining lymph nodes in some patients.
The risk of infection also increases in those women.
Doctors are testing a new technique that pinpoints the locations of lymph nodes.
"The physicians who are planning a woman's radiation can know exactly where those critical nodes are and
avoid them, block them from the radiation field," said Dr. Andrea Cheville of Mayo Clinic.
Studies show the procedure reduces the number of lymph nodes damaged by radiation by more than 55
percent.
October 28, 2011 - St. Mary Medical launches physical therapy at Oxford Valley - Bizjournals.com – by
John George
St. Mary Medical Center has expanded its physical therapy services at off-site locations in the community.
The Langhorne, Pa., hospital this week opened a 2,500 square-foot physical therapy facility in the
Cornerstone Executive Suites near the Oxford Valley Mall, which will focus on orthopedic and muscular
rehabilitation, and expanding services in its adjacent Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine Center to
include lymphedema therapy for the head and neck and lower extremities.
Lymphedema is an abnormal swelling of a body part caused by an excessive buildup of fluid.
In addition, St. Mary Physical Therapy at Cornerstone will introduce a new amputation therapy program
designed to help a patient re-learn skills and improve mobility following the amputation of a limb.
Kimberly Sudac, director of therapies at St. Mary, said the new site and expanded facility are designed to
make the services more convenient for the community’s aging population
Tina, I had to type this whole article from scratch, gave up after 15 minutes of trying to copy. I left out parts
of other Guiness word records and only kept in the parts related to Warren and his lympehdema:
October 25, 2011 - Largest scrotum: Wesley Warren Jr. sets world record (Video) - World Records
Academy -
LAS VEGAS, USA – Wesley Warren, a 47-year-old man from Las Vegas suffers from a scrotal
lymphedema; his body stores watger inside the scrotum, and this prevents him from leading a normal life; his
scrotum weighs more than 100 pounds (nearly 50kg) – setting the world record for the Largest scrotum,
according to World Records Academy (www.worldrecordsacademy.org).
. . .
“It’s not easy to get around,” Warren told the Law Vegas Review –Journal of his 100-pound scrotum. “It
makes me stay in most of the time.”
Warren has trouble getting dressed, breathes heavily, and is forced to use a makeshift pedestal made from a
pillow and milk crate to ease the pain caused by the pendulous mass. When he goes out, he covers himself
in baggy clothes.
Warren was diagnosed with scrotal lympehdema – a debilitating, massive swelling of the scrotum that results
from lymph fluid and tissue buildup.
“Patients reffered with this condition have scrotums so large that the sheer size interferes with walking,”
according to the Center for Reconstructive Urology in Orange, Calif.
An army of medical specialists have examined Warren, but have reached differing diagnoses, including
scrotal elephantiasis, scrotal lympehdema and scrotal edema.
He is asking for donations to help him afford a $1 million surge3ry to remove 100 pounds of tissue from his
scrotum.
He hopes some millionaire hears his story and tries to help.
If you want to do it, you can find him at the following email address: benefitballsack@yahoo.com
October 26, 2011 - St. Mary Medical Center to open 2500 square foot Physical Therapy center near
Oxford Valley Mall - Bucks Local News
St. Mary Medical Center announces the expansion of physical therapy services to offsite locations in the
community. As the population of our region ages, the need for physical therapy services continues to
increase.
To better meet the needs of the community in providing access to therapies that help individuals maintain or
regain their ability to perform activities of daily life, St. Mary is opening a new 2,500 square-foot fully
equipped Physical Therapy facility in the Cornerstone Executive Suites (near Oxford Valley Mall) in
Langhorne and expanding services in its adjacent Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine Center to
include lymphedema therapy for head and neck, and lower extremities.
St. Mary Physical Therapy at Cornerstone
“Physical Therapy can make a real difference in the quality of life for patients who find that an injury or
surgery is limiting their ability to function,” says Kimberly Sudac, Director of Therapies at St. Mary. “We are
excited that access to the quality program we offer now is more conveniently available to residents in our
community.”
Physical Therapy services at Cornerstone will focus on orthopedic and muscular rehabilitation for injury or
troublesome conditions of the hip, knee, shoulder and back. Individuals who have undergone joint
replacement, experienced a musculoskeletal injury or bone trauma, or have a degenerative disease, such as
arthritis or osteoporosis, as well as individuals with sprains, strains, or tendonitis can benefit from a
comprehensive approach to care. The experienced certified therapists at St. Mary integrate the evidence-
based treatment, leading-edge technologies and adaptive techniques to promote recovery. Physical
therapists assist in the recovery process by helping patients regain abilities to perform activities of daily life.
Appropriate goals and treatment plans are individualized for each patient and designed to improve a patient’
s range of motion, muscle strength, endurance, functional mobility, muscle tone and reflexes, and gait
disturbances. Treatment may include patient education, stretching and strengthening activities, endurance and
balance training, use of assistive devices, appropriate bracing for an involved limb, moist heat, ultrasound,
electric stimulation, cyrotherapy, and manual techniques.
Amputation Therapy Program
St. Mary Physical Therapy at Cornerstone will introduce a new Amputation Therapy Program designed to
help a patient re-learn skills and improve mobility to attain the highest level of functional independence
following the amputation of a limb. Amputations often may be the result of peripheral artery disease (PAD),
diabetes, infection, arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), a trauma or serious injury, or cancer in bone
or muscles. The rehabilitation program begins with a comprehensive evaluation and development of an
individualized care plan. The plan focuses on developing the skills a patient post-amputation needs to
improve mobility and resume activities of daily life. Patients may receive training in the use of a prosthesis, an
artificial limb used to improve overall function after an amputation. Patients post-amputation also are offered
guidance in lifestyle changes, pain management and skin care to avoid complications.
“There is a real advantage to our location next to the St. Mary Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine
Center as many of our older patients also struggle with difficult to heal wounds and blood circulation
problems,” says Cindy Malinowski, Outpatient Orthopedic Lead. “Our therapists work closely with
physicians and other medical providers to maintain and improve the overall health of our patients.”
Lymphedema Therapy at Cornerstone
In addition to the Lymphedema Therapy Program available on the St. Mary main campus, a Lymphedema
Therapy Program will be offered beginning in October at the St. Mary Wound Healing and Hyperbaric
Medicine Center in the Cornerstone Executive Suites.
The Lymphedema Therapy Program at Cornerstone will focus on treating swelling of the lower extremities
as a result of certain medical conditions, including chronic venous insufficiency, as well as swelling of the
head and neck, typically occurring as a result of cancer treatment.
Lymphedema is an abnormal swelling of a body part caused by an excessive buildup of fluid. Lymphedema
most often occurs after a lymph node dissection, surgery, and\or radiation, all of which can damage the
lymphatic system during the treatment of cancer. Other causes include venous insufficiency, trauma,
infection, and obesity. Symptoms of lymphedema include swelling of a body part, heaviness and limitation of
movement, recurrent infections, skin thickening or hardening, and pain or discomfort.
Certified Lymphedema Therapists provide treatment for lymphedema called Complete Decongestive
Therapy (CDT). CDT includes manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), compression bandaging, therapeutic
exercise, skin care, compression garment fitting and personalized education in self-care. MLD is a gentle,
hands-on massage that moves lymphatic fluid from the affected area to the healthy parts of the lymphatic
system. After MLD, the affected area is wrapped with layers of compression bandages to prevent
reaccumulation of the lymphatic fluid.
In addition, a medically supervised exercise program is designed to strengthen muscles and improve
circulation and function of the lymphatic system. After the affected body part is decongested, the patient is
fitted for a medical compression garment which would be worn daily to help maintain results achieved during
therapy. Lymphedema therapists also teach patient how to maintain progress through a home maintenance
program and educate them on proper skin to prevent infections.
Lymphedema of Head and Neck
Treatment of head and neck cancer can potentially cause lymphedema and debilitating side effects that affect
a person’s quality of life. The neck is the most common site of lymphedema in patients with head and neck
cancer, but lymphedema can also occur below the chin, in the face, and sometimes inside the mouth. Head
and neck lymphedema can affect vision, eating, speaking, and in some patients, breathing. Complete
decongestive therapy leads to clinical improvement in the majority of patients with head and neck
lymphedema.
Chronic venous insufficiency
In addition to the many diagnoses that Certified Lymphedema Therapists are able to treat, CDT is also
effective in treating patients with Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI). CVI is a condition of poor blood
return from the lower extremities (feet, and legs) to the heart. Risk factors include age, deep vein
thrombosis, diabetes, heart failure, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, smoking, and occupations that require long-
term standing.
CVI diminishes the capacity of the venous system. This increases the workload for the lymphatic system in
the affected area. To compensate for this excess fluid in the tissues, the lymphatic system must transport
larger volumes of fluid load in the affected tissues of the legs. Over time, the lymphatic system fails to
effectively move fluid out of the affected area, and lymphedema develops. This is a serious circulatory
disorder that usually becomes worse over time and can result in disability.
Symptoms are chronic foot or leg swelling, non-healing leg ulcers, varicose veins, pain or pressure, itching,
ache, or heaviness in the affected limb. The skin color of the leg or foot also may become reddish or brown
due to the excessive accumulation of red blood cells.
Decongestive therapy can treat CVI as with other diagnoses that cause lower extremity lymphedema.
Through MLD, compression bandaging, exercise and proper skin care, the incidence of infections and
wounds can be significantly reduced along with the decrease of fluid in the affected body part. Chronic leg
ulcers are a serious complication of CVI. Because of insufficient blood flow, the wounds are difficult to treat
and may become serious infections. These infections may become gangrenous and are potentially life
threatening, and sometimes can lead to amputations.
Antibiotic therapy, diuretic medications and, in some cases, vascular surgery also may be used to treat CVI.
Patients with CVI also can benefit from treatment at the St. Mary Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Oxygen
Center located at the site in which the Lymphedema Program is held.
“Having these therapies conveniently available is a tremendous benefit to our patients with hard-to-heal
wounds,” says Dr. David Brotman, Medical Director of the St. Mary Wound Healing and Hyperbaric
Medicine Center. “It strengthens the level of comprehensive care we can offer to meet the challenging needs
of their often complex medical conditions.”
October 27, 2011 - Lymphedema Treatments - UpNorthLive.com
TRAVERSE CITY -- It was shocking enough for Lois Sudol to learn that she was diagnosed with breast
cancer in 2008. So, when she realized she was experiencing lymphedema after treatment...she was at a loss.
"I didn't expect to get it. I thought I was being careful with my arm, doing my exercises," says Sudol.
Lymphedema is an accumulation of swelling that can happen in most often a lymph, sometimes in the head or
neck area after cancer treatment.
In Sudol's case, it was only a few weeks after her breast cancer treatment.
"I noticed the back of my hand was swollen and I called my oncologist and they had me come in that day
and she told me I had lymphedema and they made me an appointment with Kathy to get therapy right
away," says Sudol.
"Usually a patient will say they have a feeling of heaviness in their arm or sometimes it feels like they can't get
their arm down to their side because their might be swelling underneath their arm," says Kathy Bechtold a
certified lymphedema therapist with Munson Medical Center.
She worked with Sudol on a regular basis in therapy.
"Treatment will be variable depending on the severity of lymphadema. If they have mild lymphadema
sometimes we'll send them for education," says Bechtold.
"Kathy also did lymph drainage on me and then trained me to do that everyday at home," says Sudol.
What's also key to note is that people can get lymphedema at different times after cancer treatment and
there is currently no cure, but it can be properly managed.
"It can occur anytime throughout the person's lifetime. Sometimes immediately and sometimes 25 to 30
years later," says Bechtold.
"I think as a breast cancer survivor we always need to be aware that it's a possibility even if it doesn't
happen right away it can happen 20 years down the road, so I think it's always important to pay attention,"
says Sudol.
You can find out more on Lymphedema on Munson Healthcare's website by clicking here.
October 27, 2011 - NYU College of Nursing receives 450 thousand dollar NIH grant to research post –
breast cancer lymphedea - PhysOrg.com (press release)
New York University College of Nursing (NYUCN) received a two-year, $452,218.00 grant from the
national Institutes of Health (NIH) to research ""Proinflammatory Biomarkers and Post-Breast Cancer
Lymphedema." Post-breast cancer lymphedema (LE), a syndrome of abnormal swelling and multiple
distressing symptoms, is caused by injuries to the lymphatic system from cancer treatment. As advances in
cancer treatment lengthen survival, LE has emerged as a high-impact long-term morbidity that profoundly
impairs survivors' quality of life.
According to Fu, the purpose of this exploratory project is to prospectively examine levels and patterns of
proinflammatory biomarkers and genetic variations in relation to limb volume change measured with the infra-
red perometer-350S over a 12-month period in breast cancer survivors who are at risk for lymphedema.
"Among the 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. more than 40% of them have developed
lymphedema," said NYUCN Assistant Professor Mei Fu, PhD, RN, APRN-BC. "All women undergoing
breast cancer treatment are at lifetime risk for lymphedema."
While removal of lymph nodes, surgery, and radiation are the major causal factors for lymphedema, cancer
treatment is necessary for life-saving. Recent research has revealed that inflammation-infection and higher
body mass index (BMI) are the main predictors of lymphedema besides treatment-related risk.
Unfortunately, these studies did not evaluate biomarkers known for inflammation, and thus the role of
inflammation-infection in limb volume change and lymphedema development could not be ascertained.
Elevated levels of proinflammatory biomarkers have been speculated to be associated with inflammation in
patients with lymphedema. Moreover, genetic variations may be one of the important factors that influence
breast cancer survivors' responses to inflammatory processes and vulnerability to lymphedema, including
survivors' responses to treatment-related trauma (such as surgery and radiation) and triggering factors (such
as infection, burns, minor injuries, and higher BMI or obesity).
The project will employ a prospective, descriptive, and repeated-measure design. A sample of 120 women
who are newly diagnosed and treated for invasive breast cancer will be recruited. Data will be collected to
evaluate levels and patterns of proinflammatory biomarkers and genotypes known for inflammation in
relation to limb volume change.
"This project is an important first step toward gaining necessary knowledge and insights into breast cancer
survivors' susceptibility, which may help to identify survivors at higher risk based on individual survivors'
biomarker patterns and genetic factors," said Fu. "Findings of the project are fundamental in developing and
testing more intense and personalized interventions to prevent and treat LE among the breast cancer
survivors."
Provided by New York University
New treatments for breast cancer patients - WNDU-TV
Many women with breast cancer are left with unwanted, and sometimes devastating, side effects. A new
treatment is making a big difference in the lives of survivors.
There's good news for those with breast cancer: doctors say cure rates are getting better. However, many
women are left with unwanted, and sometimes devastating, side effects. There's a new treatment that's
making a big difference in the lives of survivors.
When Katie Brophy learned she had breast cancer, she wasn't surprised.
"I sort of expected it, obviously when you have a lump, you just assume," says Brophy.
A lumpectomy and radiation took care of her cancer, but left her with the risk of lymphedema, a side effect
of treatment that causes fluid build-up in the limbs.
As an interior designer, that worried her.
"I'm physical. I paint walls. I wallpaper, refinish wood. The last thing you need to do is have an impaired
arm," says Brophy.
Mayo Clinic Doctor Andrea Cheville says radiation may destroy arm-draining lymph nodes. Once they're
damaged, the risk of lymphedema rises, so does the risk of infection.
"It's unattractive and so I think socially it's a very difficult condition for people. Our best hope is to prevent
people from getting it," says Dr. Cheville.
To do that, she's testing a new technique that combines CT scans with SPECT-imaging, that powerful
combo pinpoints exact locations of critical lymph nodes.
"The physicians who are planning a woman's radiation can know exactly where those critical nodes are and
avoid them, block them from the radiation field," says Dr. Cheville.
Studies show it reduces the number of critical lymph nodes that receive harmful radiation by more than 55
percent.
"We treated 30 women. None of those women have developed lymphedema," she says.
Brophy was one of those women.
Dr. Cheville says a big advantage of this approach is many medical centers already have both of these
technologies. Training physicians to use them together may be all that's needed to help women reduce their
risk of lymphedema.
MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS
RESEARCH SUMMARY
BACKGROUND: Between 5 percent and 40 percent of women are estimated to experience some form of
lymphedema after breast cancer surgery; however, the condition is often overlooked or misdiagnosed.
Lymphedema occurs when the lymph system is damaged or blocked. It can cause fluid buildup and swelling
and usually affects an arm or a leg, but it can affect other parts of the body. Lymph fluid, tumors, lymph
vessels and lymph nodes all can play a part in lymphedema.
(SOURCES: www.breastcancer.org, www.cancer.gov)
CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS: Lymphedema can be either primary or secondary. Primary lymphedema is
caused by abnormal development and can occur at birth or develop later in life. Secondary lymphedema is
caused by damage to the lymph system due to infection, injury, cancer, scar tissue, or radiation therapy.
People can be at risk of developing lymphedema if they are obese, smoke heavily, have diabetes or have
had a mastectomy or previous surgery to the armpit area. Along with swelling, people with lymphedema may
experience a feeling of heaviness or tightness in the arm or leg. They may also feel aching or discomfort and
possibly hardening of the skin around the affected area.
(SOURCES: www.cancer.gov, www.breastcancer.org and Mayo Clinic)
NEW PREVENTION TECHNIQUES: Using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)
along with computerized tomography (CT) scans, doctors may be able to offer substantial protection against
lymphedema. Although a person may have as many as 62 lymph nodes under the arm, only a few are
responsible for the removal of fluids from the arm. The SPECT-CT technique works best for patients who
do not require radiation targeting any remaining lymph nodes. The risk of developing lymphedema may be as
much as 50 percent without taking measures to preserve the function of a person's lymphatic system.
Because lymphedema can occur years after a surgery, patients will continue to be monitored by their
physicians for signs of lymphedema. Currently, there are two treatment plans for each patient: a standard
plan and one adapted for lymph node sparing based on the SPECT-CT scans.
October 10, 2011 - Walter Reed National Military Medical Center tests cancer rehabilitation model -
Washington Post - By Judy Graham
Intervene early and prevent disabilities related to cancer from becoming serious.
That’s the focus of a cancer rehabilitation model developed at the National Naval Medical Center in
Bethesda — now part of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center — along with a few other U.S.
medical centers.
This “prospective surveillance model” of cancer rehabilitation involves evaluating patients soon after
diagnosis and then at regular intervals — typically every three months, for up to a year — once treatment is
complete. If emerging problems are identified, they can be addressed promptly.
The center began using this approach with breast cancer patients in 1999. Most fully recovered their range
of motion and other functions 12 months after surgery, according to a 2010 study in the journal Breast
Cancer Research and Treatment.
Costs are also lower when problems such as lymphedema are identified and addressed early on in breast
cancer patients, according to a study published in January in the journal Physical Therapy. Researchers
estimated that treatment for breast-cancer-related lymphedema cost $636.19 a year when the prospective
survellance model was used vs. $3,125 for traditional treatment, which typically does not begin until
lymphedema is advanced and patients are experiencing significant functional limitations.
In February, officials from the American Cancer Society, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the
American Society of Radiation Oncology, the American Physical Therapy Association and other groups met
to review evidence supporting the prospective surveillance model and to consider promoting its widespread
adoption.
Proceedings from that meeting will be published early next year, and this new model of cancer rehabilitation
may eventually become part of patients’ post-treatment plans, said Nicole Stout of Walter Reed. She said
the medical center is working toward making the prospective surveillance model a standard of care for all
cancer survivors.
October 11, 2011 - Lymphedema toll - Regina Leader-Post - By Elaine Arnusch
Your editorial, "Fighting the good fight" in the Tuesday, Oct. 4 edition of the Leader-Post says of the CIBC
Run for the Cure: "The presence of so many former cancer patients in Sunday's runs shows emphatically that
they can lead active, vital lives."
How ironic that 30 per cent of breast cancer survivors and close to 50 per cent of those treated with
radiation, will develop lymphedema a condition that causes long-term disability if not treated promptly and
takes away the chance for "active, vital lives".
Many of these patients cannot work due to this disability, while most incur prohibitive treatment costs and
spend much of their time and energy treating a condition that, with prompt treatment, would be only
temporary. These patients, and I am one, are lost in the good news stories about increased survival rates.
Elaine Arnusch,
Regina
October 12, 2011 - Jessica Bertram: The link between physical therapy and oncology - Taunton Daily
Gazette –
Melrose, Mass. —
I am frequently asked why I would want to work with cancer patients and why I would want to work in
such a seemingly sad and depressing area of physical therapy. I continue to be surprised by this question,
not because cancer itself is without times of pain and loss, but because cancer treatment is always about life.
It’s about saving a life, promoting quality of life or making the end of life as comfortable as possible.
Working everyday at the Hallmark Health Hematology and Oncology Center, I am reminded as I walk the
halls of the building that my co-workers, my patients and their families, the doctors and myself are a part of
something big, something that only a few of us get to witness. It’s the beautiful fight for life during and after
cancer.
I didn’t go to physical therapy school with the intention of working in oncology. I pictured a “glamorous”
career working with professional athletes and healing the rich and famous, but in my second year of school, I
distinctly remember a professor lecturing on cancer and lymphedema.
She spoke passionately about the relationships she had with her patients and the joy of pursuing a career
that impacted her more than she could ever return to her patients. She shared funny stories, sad stories and
stories that left deep impressions on her life and her career.
It was after that lecture I realized that a glamorous career fell short in comparison to being able to impact a
sister, mom, aunt or a grandmother’s life. And so began my journey toward a career path in which now,
years later, I resonate with the passion of my professor.
My entry into the world of oncology started with obtaining further education and a certification in a specialty
field called lymphedema.
Lymphedema is a chronic swelling of the face, arm, breast, leg or trunk. It is often a result of lymph nodes
being removed or damaged during surgery or cancer treatment. Twenty to 45 percent of all breast cancer
survivors will experience symptoms of lymphedema.
Affecting breast cancer survivors
In addition, lymphedema is not limited to only breast cancer survivors, it often affects patients with
melanoma, prostate, ovarian, uterine and head and neck cancers as well. It is a side effect to cancer
treatment that can be debilitating, uncomfortable and life altering.
Because the availability to lymphedema treatment is limited it is often a side effect that goes untreated for
months or years, allowing a gradual progression of the condition until the symptoms become unbearable.
The addition of the lymphedema clinic to Hallmark Health has allowed patients with lymphedema access to
care that was previously not available in this area.
The treatment for lymphedema is determined using an approach based the Complete Decongestive Therapy
(CDT) methods, but is tailored to be unique for each patient. This aspect of lymphedema treatment is what I
find most appealing.
With each patient that comes into the Hallmark Health Lymphedema and Physical Therapy Clinic, I have the
opportunity to create a treatment plan with them that will meet both their individual goals and the medical
aspects of their care. The basic components of CDT are manual lymphatic drainage, compression
bandaging, skin care, exercise and compression garments. It is a combination of these treatment options that
produces long-term swelling reduction and management of lymphedema.
Frequently I get asked that if the swelling is not painful and does not bother me, should I seek treatment for
lymphedema? The answer is yes.
Like many other diseases and conditions, if lymphedema is detected early and treated early then the
outcomes are much improved. A person with lymphedema that allows swelling to remain in the limb and/or
other parts of the body will develop a condition called fibrosis.
Fibrosis is lymphedema swelling that has become hard and is difficulty to treat. Another other risk associated
with allowing lymphedema to persist without treatment is infection. The constant swelling creates stagnant
circulation that significantly increases a person’s risk for infection, wounds and decreased function of the
limb.
For these reasons I encourage co-workers, patients, patient families and doctors to seek out a lymphedema
provider early, before the lymphedema has time to progress.
I cannot imagine myself in a more rewarding profession. I have found that no matter what my goals are as a
clinician if I fail to recognize the aspects of patient care that will improve quality of life, than I will not be
effective. So whether I am treating lymphedema, shoulder pain, cancer-related fatigue or scar tissue
adhesions, it is that collaboration between patient and therapist that creates the environment that I love so
much about cancer care.
Cancer-related side effects seem, on the surface, to be one of those annoying aspects of cancer that are
more of an inconvenience than a problem, but in truth they are conditions that sneak up on the cancer
fighter/survivor and have the potential to frustrate, discourage and rob quality of life.
It is my great opportunity, as a certified lymphedema therapist with Hallmark Health, to dispel the
frustrations and discouragements of lymphedema and offer treatment options for side-effects to cancer
patients so that they can continue their fight against cancer and for life.
Hallmark Health Lymphedema and Physical Therapy Clinic is located at 41 Montvale Ave. in Stoneham.
Jessica Bertram, PT, CLT continues to take new patients. For more information on lymphedema and
physical therapy treatments available at the Hallmark Health Hematology and Oncology Center, call 781-
395-7750.
October 12, 2011 - Pain of swollen arms hits breast cancer patients in the pocket - Baltimore Sun –
Few insurers cover compression garments needed to treat lymphedema
It can be one of the nasty surprises for breast cancer patients.
After the lump, the biopsy, the surgery, the radiation and the chemo, the wig and the mastectomy bathing suit
— as if these things were not enough — suddenly one arm, or both, swells monstrously, painfully.
October 13, 2011 - Augusta Health open house highlights importance of occupational therapy - Staunton
News Leader – Written by Maria Longley
FISHERSVILLE — Few things irritate Jennifer Krzastek more than to watch the actors on a medical TV
drama like "Grey's Anatomy" fail to name the act of delivering occupational therapy.
"They'll show someone clearly receiving occupational therapy and then say it's physical therapy," said
Krzastek, a certified occupational therapist with Augusta Health's outpatient facility. "I get so frustrated
when I see that."
TV writers probably want to oversimplify the term because the discipline is so often misunderstood. People
associate occupational therapy with a type of vocational training, but it actually helps people with a physical,
mental or developmental condition gain the skills they need to live independently and participate in everyday
activities.
"It's gaining skills in the job of living," Krzastek said. "That's one way to sum it up."
Krzastek and other therapists were on hand Wednesday to answer questions at an open house for the
hospital's outpatient occupational therapy center, which recently underwent a renovation. The $30,000
project expanded space and updated the center's therapy equipment.
"We used to be in a small corner back in physical therapy," said therapist Sandy Wagoner.
Patients referred to an occupational therapist are often recovering from a physical injury or a neurologically
disabling condition, such as stroke.
Occupational therapy also can help children with developmental delay and conditions such as autism and
cerebral palsy.
The daily "occupations" that therapist help patients work on include eating, writing, getting dressed and
cooking tasks like chopping vegetables. Therapists help patients work on range of motion, fine motor skills
and visual perception skills. And they teach patients how to use adaptive equipment and gadgets to help
them accomplish tasks on their own. One example is a weighted spoon or pen that can steady the hand of a
patient experiencing tremors. Therapists also adapt items themselves.
Augusta Health's outpatient center employs five occupational therapists, including hand and lymphedema
therapists, as well as a pediatric therapist.
Patients with lymphedema, which is swelling caused by blockage of the lymph passages, can receive
complete decongestive therapy at Augusta Health's outpatient facility. The program combines manual lymph
drainage — a type of light massage to move fluids toward other working lymph passages — bandaging and
the use of compression garments. Breast cancer patients who've had lymph nodes removed from their
underarms and experience swelling in the arms as a result are often referred for the treatment.
The expanded facility now offers private rooms for patients receiving lymphedema therapy.
"It's nice to have that," said Pam Vandevander, an occupational therapist specializing in treating
lymphedema. "Now people can have privacy, we can lower the lights and offer a quiet, comfortable place
for our patients."
While occupational and physical therapies in general aren't considered major moneymakers for a hospital
like heart and vascular tend to be, Augusta Health's therapy programs do pay for themselves, said Scott
Crabtree, director of therapies at Augusta Health.
"We do make our budget," he said.
Crabtree and Augusta Health therapists say there is a plan in the earliest stage to create a neuro-recovery
center, a program into which patients, such as stroke victims who've received occupational therapy, can
transition and continue to receive other therapeutic services.
October 13, 2011 - St. Augustine woman: Learning an important life lesson in breast cancer diagnosis -
Florida Times-Union – by Amy Rankin
I learned a lot of lessons from being diagnosed with breast cancer, but perhaps the biggest one is that cancer
is not a death sentence. When I was diagnosed in 1989 with preschool-age children at home, my only
reference was that my mother had died of breast cancer in 4½ years. I wanted to live to see my children
grow up. I was lucky enough to do so.
I learned that I could stand a lot of pain and discomfort as well as future issues (such as lymphedema)
because, well, it wasn't breast cancer. I learned to listen to my body for signals about my health and to be an
engaged patient. My wonderful oncologist at the Mayo Clinic, Kevin Cockrell, taught me what kind of
doctor to look for - one who is compassionate, knowledgeable and listens to patients. He taught me a
valuable trick to gauge my concerns about aches and pains: the "is it getting better, staying the same or
getting worse" routine, I call it. It helps me measure when I need to have a doctor involved.
Unfortunately I also learned that health insurance is not your friend. They get it wrong most of the time and
fighting them on each denial or charge they won't pay for has saved me thousands over the years. ... And, by
the way, I've learned that most every hospital bill has some error on it. It is worth the fight.
Finally, I learned that there is so much compassion out there. I'm forever grateful to the PGA Tour staff
wives of 1989 who organized a food caravan to my house so we had dinner prepared by someone for 30
days straight. And to Reach to Recovery volunteer Terry who was diagnosed at a young age like I was. She
saved my sanity.
My children are now grown. Breast cancer treatment has advanced so far. I'm still here and have so many to
thank.
October 10, 2011 - Self Massage Treatment for Lymphedema At A Glance - Eva-News (press release) –
A self massage is essentially utilised for enhancement inside the circulation and drainage of lymph. That is
carried out by stimulating the lymphatic vessels by massage. Self massage can be identified as lymphatic
massage.
Typically a lymphedema therapist instructs sufferers on carrying out self massage or lymphatic massage. One
particular must know that this isn’t a point to allow go but is a crucial aspect of controlling lymphedema and
ought to be completed on a regular basis as and when directed.
The self massage is skipped any time a particular person finds out that there’s an infection from the impacted
spot or you can find indicators or indications that an infection is establishing. If it is the situation then the self
massage could be modified as need to have be or skipped absolutely until eventually the infection is
underneath manage.
Also self massage is just not proposed by medical professionals to people who have selected health-related
situations. These ailments involve particular malignant tumors.
1 must plainly recognize the self massage strokes. This can be why you will need to spend consideration to
your therapist that is definitely supplying you with teaching regarding how to perform self massage. This
course of action plus the strokes applied and their sequence are really comparable on the kinds as utilized in
guide lymph drainage.
Self massage is deemed to get a method which is light and carrying it out about the impacted place must not
final result within the skin turning into red and/or the place in which the massage is finished starts off to
damage.
Although equivalent to lymph massage this self massage isn’t exactly the same being a regular muscle mass
massage. Self massage fundamentally encourages lymph drainage. This can be the explanation why only a
certified lymphedema therapist ought to be authorized to massage the lymphedema impacted location
utilizing deep strokes and never any individual else who doesn’t have the understanding or even the expertise.
Strokes inside a self massage regime don’t use a great deal of strain plus the arms aren’t created to slide
above the skin with the impacted place. In lieu of this though massaging palms are utilized to maneuver and
stretch the skin in order to promote movement of lymph from the lymphatic capillaries. These capillaries can
be found proper beneath the skin.
It’s not at all typical to implement any oils and lotions through a self massage remedy therapy because they
consequence in creating the skin slippery. Only if the skin seems to get really dry really should lotion be
utilized just before self massaging. The lotion must be authorized being absorbed ahead of carrying out the
massage.
October 10, 2011 - LAMOND v. ASTRUE - Leagle.com –
Sorry, when I clicked here the first screen was blank and nothing ever came up. When I clicked on the See
all stories on this topic link it said it could find no related articles
October 19, 2011 - Hawthorn Medical Associates expands cancer care with rehab center -
SouthCoastToday.com – By ANIKA CLARK
DARTMOUTH — Hawthorn Medical Associates in Dartmouth will officially launch a new, certified
oncology rehabilitation program Thursday, expanding its care for people who are battling and beating cancer.
Along with the program itself, 15 Hawthorn professionals — ranging from oncologists and nurses to physical
and occupational therapists, a registered dietician and a licensed social worker — have all earned
"Survivorship Training and Rehab" (STAR) certification through the Northboro-based Oncology Rehab
Partners.
Offered to health care professionals and also to programs that train a "multidisciplinary survivorship team,"
STAR certification was developed with a team of clinicians by Dr. Julie Silver, a rehabilitation and physical
medicine doctor, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and a cancer survivor herself, according
to Oncology Rehab Partners.
"When (Silver) was going through her treatment, she was sicker than she had ever been when they said she
was done," said Diane Stokes, co-founder of Oncology Rehab Partners, who said Hawthorn is the first
STAR-certified program in Massachusetts. "That's when her crusade started to just try to advance cancer
rehab with best practices."
The program certification involves a list of online training modules and incorporates implementation and
continuing education, according to Oncology Rehab Partners. Helping cancer patients endure and recover
from the grueling effects of the disease and its cures isn't new to Hawthorn, which offers everything from
endurance building and strength exercises for people who have undergone (or are undergoing) radiation and
chemotherapy to speech therapy, for those with brain cancer-related cognitive damage, and help managing a
problem of fluid retention called lymphedema.
But "it was not as formal, not as well, probably, coordinated between oncology and us," said Sherry
Spencer Brown, a physical therapist, a STAR-certified clinician and a certified lymphedema therapist.
"Now, when the oncology nurses, for example, are working with someone while they're having their
chemotherapy, they're already talking in terms of the importance of ... activity level."
STAR, she explained, "afforded us an opportunity to have a very good evidence-based program put
together that allowed us all to kind of share a similar foundation of information."
In the newly launched program, cancer patients are also identified earlier for rehabilitation, according to
Brown and Deborah Days Fraine, an occupational therapist, a STAR-certified clinician, a certified hand
therapist and manager of the newly renovated Hawthorn Medical Rehabilitation Center. That center works
not only with cancer patients but also a diverse population including orthopedic patients, stroke survivors,
people with neuromuscular diseases, people who have had traumatic hand injuries or surgeries, people with
lymphedema (which may or may not be linked to cancer) and people with vertigo.
Thanks to STAR certification, "the front line is identifying more; the nurses are more aware of what we can
do for (cancer patients), and they're more able to identify people that can use our services," Fraine said. "So
we'll be servicing a bigger population but we'll also be servicing as a team. ... We'll be aware of what each
person on the team can contribute."
Officials from Southcoast Hospitals Group and St. Anne's Hospital in Fall River said that while they don't
have STAR-certified staff, they offer oncology rehabilitation and have professionals certified in lymphedema
therapy and a variety of other services.
"Oncology, as a condition that medical people are working with, has evolved a lot because of the science
and the research behind it," said Lisen Cameron, a manager of rehabilitation services for Southcoast
Hospitals Group. "And as they learn more about how to treat the disease, it causes all of us to change the
way we go about taking care of patients and trying to make their life as meaningful as it can be."
Brown also described wider philosophical shifts in oncology rehab from an approach that is more problem-
oriented to one that's more proactive.
"The more traditional model is that a woman would be sent to rehab because, after having a mastectomy,
she is having problems reaching over her shoulder," Brown explained. "The evidence is showing that,
previously, people didn't have a lot of rehab intervention when they finished their acute cancer treatment, and
what they found is that people were not reaching their maximum potential."
While Hawthorn's oncology rehabilitation services program works with cancer "survivors," this refers to a
broad swath of people. "They can jump into the program at all different times. It could be while they're still
on chemo or having radiation. It could be pretty soon after they're diagnosed," said Fraine, who described
how receiving rehab services during treatment can help cancer patients recover faster, return to work
quicker, and bolster their spirits.
"We consider 'survivorship' from the day they're diagnosed," she said.
October 18, 2011 - Man with giant testicles - The Sun – By HARRY HAYDON -
AMERICAN Wesley Warren Jr has told how he needs a $1million operation to remove his SEVEN
STONE testicles.
The 47-year-old has suffered in silence with the enormous growth on his scrotum but is now pleading for
help so he can get life-changing surgery.
His testicles have grown so large that he cannot wear jeans or trousers anymore and lives on a diet of
antibiotics and medications.
Instead Wesley, from Las Vegas, US, has to wear a hoodie - placing his legs in the arms and using the hood
to support the growth.
Wesley said: "It's not easy to get around, it makes me stay in most of the time."
But he refuses to let his unfortunate condition get him down, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
He added: "I want to have real friends and a relationship with a woman.
But I'm not suicidal. I'm too strong for that.”
October 19, 2011 - GPA Promotes Early Detection Lymphedema Screening - MarketWatch (press
release) –
Advancing women's health remains core focus for third party administrator
DALLAS, Oct 19, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Group & Pension Administrators, Inc., (GPA) one of the
largest third-party benefit administrators in the Southwestern United States and an active promoter of
women's health, today announced that it strongly endorses Lymphedema screening in pre- and post-surgical
breast cancer patients.
When breast cancer is diagnosed, treatment may include chemotherapy, radiation, and/or surgery. While
these treatments have proved to increase the breast cancer cure rate, one potential side effect is
Lymphedema, a debilitating chronic disorder causing limb swelling and inflammation.
"For years, GPA has encouraged its clients to offer mammography screening, an instrumental measure in
early detection of breast cancer," began Barbara Derlein, Director of HealthWatch, GPA. "Based on recent
research, we now recommend Lymphedema screening to help prevent an unnecessary chronic complication
of breast cancer treatment, and offer this benefit to our employees."
Derlein added, "Typically, our health plan groups cover mammography screening at age 40 or 45,
depending on plan design. When a group elects GPA wellness services, we provide health education and
active promotion of breast cancer and Lymphedema screenings."
In a recent position paper, the National Lymphedema Network (NLN) recommended all breast cancer
patients receive pre- and post-treatment measurements on both arms, and consistent measurements
throughout their treatment, and that practitioners use bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) or infared
perometry as opposed to a tape measure. These precautions have proved to reduce the occurrence of
Lymphedema.
GPA's own health plan offers its employees coverage for this testing procedure with the use of the
spectroscopy with the Lymphedema index (L-Dex) measurement system and has partnered with L-Dex to
offer this new paradigm of Lymphedema management.
"As a wellness and prevention champion, GPA strongly promotes health plan coverage for oncologists to
clinically assess the early stages of Lymphedema because it is the right thing to do for the patient and plan,"
said Kathy Enochs, COO for GPA. "GPA has long been an advocate in advancing women's health, and we
continue to stay on top of leading healthcare research and trends to ensure our groups and members stay as
healthy as possible."
"Before the early identification of Lymphedema using bioimpedience spectroscopy, the method of
measurement available to physicians was not sophisticated enough to detect the minute changes in
extracellular fluid that occur before clinically noticeable," said Dr. Alison Laidley, Texas Breast Specialists,
Texas Oncology. "Early identification and treatment of pre-clinical Lymphedema is so important to
preventing a life-long complication that can so easily be prevented when diagnosed early. In the future this
test may also help to identify the earliest signs of Lymphedema in patients with other types of cancer."
Lymphedema effects up to one-third of the 180,000 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients annually and
2.3 million breast cancer survivors in the United States according to The Avon Foundation for Women white
paper of April 2011.
About Group & Pension Administrators, Inc.
Group & Pension Administrators, Inc. (GPA) is the largest independently owned third-party administrator
(TPA) in the Southwest, providing highest-quality and custom healthcare benefit management solutions to
discerning self-insured employers. For over 40 years, GPA has combined its value of service excellence
with a commitment to customers, employing industry-leading technology, tools and -- above all -- "high-
touch" patient care to deliver the healthiest employees and the "healthiest" bottom line. In fact, GPA's
customized wellness solution, BeWell(SM), earned a Gold Award and was recognized nationally by the
Wellness Council of America for producing outstanding results. Featured customers benefiting from GPA
health initiatives: The Container Store, named to FORTUNE magazine's list of "100 Best Companies to
Work For," and the City of McKinney, selected as one of the Healthiest Cities in North Texas by Live
Healthy America. GPA, along with several of its clients, was also named to Dallas Morning News' Top 100
Places to Work in 2010. For more information, visit gpatpa.com.
SOURCE: Group & Pension Administrators, Inc.
October 23, 2011 - Pain of swollen arms hits breast cancer patients in the pocket - Detroit Free Press –
BY SUSAN REIMER
BALTIMORE -- It can be one of the nasty surprises for breast cancer patients.
After the lump, the biopsy, the surgery, the radiation and the chemo, the wig and the mastectomy bathing suit
-- as if these things were not enough -- suddenly one arm, or both, swells monstrously, painfully.
It is lymphedema. And nobody warned you about it.
"I never expected it. I never even heard of it," said Tia Neale, a breast cancer patient who lives in Owings
Mills, Md.
She is resting on an examining table at Mercy Medical Center while therapist Maureen McBeth gently
massages her chest, stomach, arm and hand, doing manually what Neale's lymphatic system isn't doing on its
own anymore -- helping push fluids into the circulatory system and out of the body.
The massage treatment takes about an hour and Neale travels to Mercy two to three times a week -- she
used to come daily -- to control the swelling.
As soon as McBeth finishes, she helps Neale wrestle her arm and hand into a tight-fitting sleeve and glove.
Called compression garments, they will continue to do what McBeth's gentle fingertips have been doing.
Neale must wear the sleeves 24 hours a day, probably for the rest of her life. Lymphedema -- the result of
damage or removal of lymph glands during breast cancer treatment -- can be controlled, but it can't be
cured.
"It's not like you can put lymph nodes back," said McBeth, who manages cancer rehab for Mercy. "For
more people, this is lifelong."
The compression garments cost anywhere from $50 to $2,000 each. Most must be custom-made to fit the
patient's measurements. You need two so one can be washed, and a different, specialized garment to wear
at night. You might need to replace them every six months.
And here is the other nasty surprise: Medicare doesn't pay for these compression garments and, because
Medicare sets the coverage standard, few private insurers pay for them either.
"It is adding insult to injury," said McBeth, who massages more than her patients' hands and arms. She
works whatever angles she can to find private money to help her patients pay for these garments.
"Every soccer-playing kid in America has a pair of spandex shorts, and my patients can't get the garments
they need," she said.
There is a bill in Congress, HR 2499, called the Lymphedema Diagnosis and Treatment Cost Saving Act,
that would require Medicare to cover the diagnosis and treatment of lymphedema, including the manual
lymph draining that McBeth does and the compression garments that can be so expensive. Such a change in
Medicare coverage would likely trigger a similar change among private insurers.
"It is insulting that Medicare would cover erectile dysfunction and not this," said McBeth. "Compression is
the only thing that works. There is no medicine, and there is no substitute. It is medically necessary, and it
isn't covered."
Lymphedema is not just another embarrassing disfigurement caused by breast cancer. And discomfort and
limited range of motion are not the only side effects.
The protein-rich fluid that collects under the skin is the perfect breeding ground for cellulitis, an aggressive
infection that can be provoked by something as simple as a paper cut and can require weeks of
hospitalization and heavy-duty antibiotics.
Its early and energetic treatment is just the kind of preventive care that can keep any number of the
estimated 1.5 million to 3 million sufferers covered by Medicare out of the hospital.
A change in the law would also produce a change in awareness. Most breast cancer patients, like Neale,
never heard of lymphedema because their doctors never brought it up.
A diagnosis of breast cancer produces a laundry list of important matters to be discussed. But McBeth is
convinced that pre-treatment measurements and careful monitoring after treatment can manage the swelling
and the pain and reduced mobility that so often result.
"I know I can help every patient I see," said McBeth, who lectures nationally on treating lymphedema. "But I
don't have the resources and my patients don't have the money. I shouldn't have to say that I wish I'd win
the lottery to take care of them."
October 8, 2011 - 'Ethnodrama' to Raise Awareness About Lymphedema - Saskatoonhomepage.ca –
Holy Cross High School will be the home of an ethnodrama tonight (sat) on the challenges of living with the
aftermath of breast cancer surgery.
5 centres across the country are hosting the event, including Saskatoon.
The intent is to raise awareness for arm problems that arise following breast cancer surgery, and the impact
those problems have on work, leisure, and relationships.
A core group of survivors have developed the drama to highlight the personal side of Lymphedema.
The ethnodrama is tonight at 7 o'clock, at Holy Cross High School.
October 20, 2011 - Charity drive in the pink - Middle East North Africa Financial Network –
This event has passed sorry
October 20, 2011 - Health Break - WEAU-TV 13 –
Lymphedema — swelling in arms and legs after lymph nodes are removed or damaged — can affect cancer
survivors. In this presentation, cancer experts will explain lymphedema, discuss ways to manage the
condition and answer your questions from 6:30 to ...
Tina, unfortunately this one above went to a menu that search found nothing for health break or lymphedema
and clicking on the se all stories on this topic brought up a page saying nothing could be found
October 21, 2011 - reast Assured exercise can help – ChicagoNow – By Andrea Metcalf -
October is National Breast cancer awareness month. Women in the United States get breast cancer more
than any other type of cancer except for skin cancer. It is second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer
death in women. Exercise is a great step in helping reduce your risk of breast cancer and survival rate as
well.
Here are 5 reasons you should start exercising now:
HORMONE HELP - Exercise pumps up the immune system and lowers estrogen levels. With as little as
four hours of exercise per week, a woman can begin to lower her risk of breast cancer. Those who
exercised at least four hours a week during their leisure time had a 37 percent lower risk of developing
breast cancer compared with those who were sedentary.
TAKE PAUSE- Exercise is a contributing factor to reducing the risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal
women. About 70% of women diagnosed with breast cancer each year are over age 50, and almost half are
age 65 and older.
BENCH PRESS PUMP -Exercise, specifically strength training, helps reduce the chances of lymphedema
occurrences in survivors. In a study at the University of Pennsylvania conducted by the National Institutes of
Health, 14% of the exercisers experienced a flare-up in their lymphedema, compared with 29% of the non-
exercisers after one year.
TRAIN LIKE A GIRL - High levels of moderate and vigorous physical activity during adolescence has
been found to reduce risks greater than starting later in life. Although the best time to start is now, being role
models to our daughters is sage advice too.
KEEP LEAN - Physical activity may prevent cancer by assisting with weight maintenance to avoid a high
body mass and excess body fat. People who are obese have an abnormally high and unhealthy proportion of
body fat. Obesity and physical inactivity may account for 25 to 30 percent of several major cancers
including breast cancer.
Andrea Metcalf is a healthy lifestyle spokesperson, author of Naked Fitness ( Vanguard Press ) and
advocate for Bebrightpink.org. Also check out more inspirational news with Kilamanjaro blogs featuring
stories about women surviving ovarian cancer.
KEYWORD DOCS – YAHOO ALERTS:
October 28, 2011 - NIH awards $452,218 for research on proinflammatory biomarkers and post-breast
cancer lymphedema - News-Medical-Net –
The research aims to investigate breast cancer patients' susceptibility to lymphedema by evaluating
biomarker patterns and genetic factors
New York University College of Nursing (NYUCN) received a two-year, $452,218.00 grant from the
national Institutes of Health (NIH) to research "Proinflammatory Biomarkers and Post-Breast Cancer
Lymphedema." Post-breast cancer lymphedema (LE), a syndrome of abnormal swelling and multiple
distressing symptoms, is caused by injuries to the lymphatic system from cancer treatment. As advances in
cancer treatment lengthen survival, LE has emerged as a high-impact long-term morbidity that profoundly
impairs survivors' quality of life.
According to Fu, the purpose of this exploratory project is to prospectively examine levels and patterns of
proinflammatory biomarkers and genetic variations in relation to limb volume change measured with the infra-
red perometer-350S over a 12-month period in breast cancer survivors who are at risk for lymphedema.
"Among the 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. more than 40% of them have developed
lymphedema," said NYUCN Assistant Professor Mei Fu, PhD, RN, APRN-BC. "All women undergoing
breast cancer treatment are at lifetime risk for lymphedema."
While removal of lymph nodes, surgery, and radiation are the major causal factors for lymphedema, cancer
treatment is necessary for life-saving. Recent research has revealed that inflammation-infection and higher
body mass index (BMI) are the main predictors of lymphedema besides treatment-related risk.
Unfortunately, these studies did not evaluate biomarkers known for inflammation, and thus the role of
inflammation-infection in limb volume change and lymphedema development could not be ascertained.
Elevated levels of proinflammatory biomarkers have been speculated to be associated with inflammation in
patients with lymphedema. Moreover, genetic variations may be one of the important factors that influence
breast cancer survivors' responses to inflammatory processes and vulnerability to lymphedema, including
survivors' responses to treatment-related trauma (such as surgery and radiation) and triggering factors (such
as infection, burns, minor injuries, and higher BMI or obesity).
The project will employ a prospective, descriptive, and repeated-measure design. A sample of 120 women
who are newly diagnosed and treated for invasive breast cancer will be recruited. Data will be collected to
evaluate levels and patterns of proinflammatory biomarkers and genotypes known for inflammation in
relation to limb volume change.
"This project is an important first step toward gaining necessary knowledge and insights into breast cancer
survivors' susceptibility, which may help to identify survivors at higher risk based on individual survivors'
biomarker patterns and genetic factors," said Fu. "Findings of the project are fundamental in developing and
testing more intense and personalized interventions to prevent and treat LE among the breast cancer
survivors."
October 26, 2011 - Lymphedema Treatments - TV 7&4 Traverse City – by Melissa Smith
TRAVERSE CITY -- It was shocking enough for Lois Sudol to learn that she was diagnosed with breast
cancer in 2008. So, when she realized she was experiencing lymphedema after treatment...she was at a loss.
"I didn't expect to get it. I thought I was being careful with my arm, doing my exercises," says Sudol.
Lymphedema is an accumulation of swelling that can happen in most often a lymph, sometimes in the head or
neck area after cancer treatment.
In Sudol's case, it was only a few weeks after her breast cancer treatment.
"I noticed the back of my hand was swollen and I called my oncologist and they had me come in that day
and she told me I had lymphedema and they made me an appointment with Kathy to get therapy right
away," says Sudol.
"Usually a patient will say they have a feeling of heaviness in their arm or sometimes it feels like they can't get
their arm down to their side because their might be swelling underneath their arm," says Kathy Bechtold a
certified lymphedema therapist with Munson Medical Center.
She worked with Sudol on a regular basis in therapy.
"Treatment will be variable depending on the severity of lymphadema. If they have mild lymphadema
sometimes we'll send them for education," says Bechtold.
"Kathy also did lymph drainage on me and then trained me to do that everyday at home," says Sudol.
What's also key to note is that people can get lymphedema at different times after cancer treatment and
there is currently no cure, but it can be properly managed.
"It can occur anytime throughout the person's lifetime. Sometimes immediately and sometimes 25 to 30
years later," says Bechtold.
"I think as a breast cancer survivor we always need to be aware that it's a possibility even if it doesn't
happen right away it can happen 20 years down the road, so I think it's always important to pay attention,"
says Sudol.
You can find out more on Lymphedema on Munson Healthcare's website by clicking here.
October 23, 2011 - Pain of swollen arms hits breast cancer patients in the pocket - Detroit Free Press –
This is a duplicate of the Google Alert doc already above
October 18, 2011 - Hospital helps breast cancer patients deal with lymphedema - Sun-Sentinel –
For about six years Michelle Mitchell, a physical therapist and one of the few certified lymphedema
therapists in the area, has been helping breast cancer survivors cope, treat and prevent lymphedema with her
work at Wellington Regional Medical Center's Outpatient Rehabilitation Department.
Lymphedema is caused by a blockage in the lymphatic system, an important part of the immune and
circulatory systems, Mitchell said. Often these blockages can happen when a patient has undergone breast
cancer treatment because the lymph node has been damaged or removed during treatment. These blockages
prevent lymph fluid from draining well, and as the fluid builds up, swelling can occur in the chest, arm and
hand, she said.
Does every person who has breast cancer treatment develop lymphedema?
No, and no one is exactly sure why. In some cases women won't develop lymphedema for 20 years after
their treatment. Although any time there is damage to the lymphatic system patients are always at risk. Age
and diet don't play into the development of this progressive chronic disease, and although there is no cure
there are many treatments and precautions that can be taken.
October 29, 2011 - Manual Lymphatic Drainage therapy offers relief for plastic surgery patients - La Jolla
Light - By Stephen M. Krant, MD, FACS –
As shown in a recent survey conducted by the American Massage Therapy Association, 90% of Americans
believe in the therapeutic benefits of massage. But while many individuals associate massage with relief from
muscle tension, they may be unaware of the additional benefits that can be achieved through specific
therapeutic approaches to the practice. An experienced masseuse can offer substantial relief and pain
management to individuals suffering from a variety of chronic or trauma-induced conditions ranging from
arthritis to sports injury to lymphedema. When properly administered by a qualified professional, massage
therapy is an effective and enjoyable supplement to any healthcare regimen – as well as an ideal way to
detoxify the body, reduce swelling, relieve stress and eliminate tension.
In my practice as a cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgeon, I often encounter post-operative swelling
and, in some cases, occurrences of lymphedema in my breast reconstruction patients. Defined as an
abnormal buildup of fluids and cell wastes in the tissue spaces that occur when the lymph system is damaged
(either by surgery, radiation, injury or a pre-existing abnormality), lymphedema is classified as either primary
or secondary depending on the manner in which is appears. Lymphatic massage is a type of therapeutic
massage that can help alleviate lymphedema symptoms; and because of its many beneficial qualities, we have
transferred our experience treating breast reconstruction patients with lymphedema to all of our surgical
patients in order to maximize both recovery and aesthetic results. Manual lymphatic drainage massage
involves the application of pressure and soft tissue manipulation to help release toxins, reduce swelling and
aid in swift post-operative recovery. When administered by an experienced massage therapist, this proven
technique can help cosmetic and reconstructive patients alike.
Comprehensive care and massage treatment options at SK Sanctuary San Diego
At SK Sanctuary, we are committed to providing patients and clients with the best in both medical care and
spa-style relaxation – a mission ideally represented by our diverse range of medical, therapeutic and
pampering massage services. Normal swelling occurs following any surgical procedure; and the SK
Sanctuary Manual Lymphatic Drainage massage has proven dramatically effective as a supplemental
treatment for our post-operative patients. Recipients experience a rejuvenating form of medical care as well
as all the other benefits of massage including stress and tension release and increased circulation.
Our massage practitioners offer a broad menu of other massage packages, including European,
aromatherapy, rolling stones and chair massages, as well as couples and maternity massages. To learn more
or schedule an appointment, visit us online: www.sk-sanctuary.com.
October 30, 2011 - Breast cancer treatment can lead to swelling condition - Dayton Daily News – By
Robin McMacken -
But lymphedema can be effectively managed, relieved, experts say.
The early findings of a study by the University of Dayton confirm a common side effect of breast cancer
treatment — a painful limb-swelling condition known as lymphedema — affects the quality of life for
patients, yet it can be effectively managed through exercise and physical therapy.
This spring, Mary Fisher, assistant professor of the physical therapy program at UD’s department of health
and sport science, collected data from 79 women without breast cancer and 50 women with breast cancer.
“Across the board, women with breast cancer had more disability and lower function of the arms and lower
quality of life.” In the breast cancer group, the participants — who were from 30 to 69 years of age —
underwent their initial cancer treatment anywhere from one to 15 years ago.
Fisher estimates anywhere from 12 percent to 30 percent of breast cancer patients will develop secondary
lymphedema.
Lymphedema is a buildup of lymph fluid in the fatty tissues just under the skin, according to Dr. Melissa
Roelle, medical director for the High Risk Breast Center at Miami Valley Hospital South. This buildup
causes swelling (or edema) most often in the arms for breast cancer patients. Lymphedema can result from
surgery or radiation therapy to treat the cancer.
“It can be mild, which in most cases it is,” Roelle added, or so severe there is limited mobility in the wrist,
fingers and elbow because the arm is so tight.
Fisher added the extent of the breast cancer surgery, the number of lymph nodes involved and a high Body
Mass Index increase the risk of a woman developing lymphedema.
Weightlifting may play a key role in preventing lymphedema, according to research last year from the
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Overall, the investigators found that a slowly progressive
weightlifting regimen did not increase the women’s chances of getting lymphedema.
In fact, weightlifting cut the risk of developing the condition during the yearlong study by 35 percent: Eleven
percent of women in the weightlifting treatment group developed lymphedema, compared to 17 percent of
those in the control group, who did not change their normal physical activity level.
Leatha Boone, 65, knows firsthand the limitations lymphedema can pose since her 1999 modified radical
mastectomy during which she had 23 lymph nodes removed. Since her right arm is bigger than her left arm –
along with the added bulk of the compression sleeve and glove she wears – finding clothes that fit well is a
challenge. She turns to her trusty sewing machine to craft garments that are flattering.
“Sometimes my arm gets tight, and it feels like my skin is going to pop,” said the Riverside resident, who
participated in the UD study. “My lymphedema isn’t painful, but it is an inconvenience.”
“Lymphedema can develop anywhere during the person’s whole spectrum of treatment. It could be during
radiation or chemotherapy or it could develop 10 or 20 years later,” explained Theresa Walchner, a physical
therapist and Lymphology Association of North America-certified lymphedema specialist at Good
Samaritan Hospital.
She said the condition is chronic, but it can be managed through a healthy lifestyle, including exercise, a
sensible diet and maintaining ideal weight.
In addition to exercise, other components of treatment for lymphedema include proper skin hygiene to
eliminate bacterial and fungal growth; manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) to allow the limb to return to near
normal size; and bandaging and compression to help maintain the size of the arm.
Life adjustments
Gail Counts, an area physical therapist who is certified in MLD and complete decongestive therapy, said it is
essential that patients understand lymphedema and make the necessary lifestyle adjustments.
To maintain her lymphedema, Boone exercises daily and wears a compression sleeve and glove during the
day. At night, she switches to a JoViPak arm sleeve. Three times a week, Boone uses the Flexitouch
system, which is essentially a programmable pneumatic compression device that mimics MLD and mobilizes
the lymphatics to remove excess fluid from the compromised regions of the body and into the functioning
vascular system.
“I am pretty much able to do what I could do before the breast cancer,” said Boone, who also attends a
lymphedema support group the second Monday of each month in Beavercreek.
October 30, 2011 – St. Mary opens new physical therapy center - phillyBurbs.com - By Jo Ciavaglia -
MIDDLETOWN — St. Mary Medical Center has opened a new 2,500 square-foot physical therapy
center in Middletown and expanded its nearby wound healing and hyperbaric medicine center to include
lymphedema therapy for the head, neck and lower body.
Physical Therapy services at the Cornerstone Executive Suites will focus on orthopedic and muscular
rehabilitation for injury or troublesome conditions of the hip, knee, shoulder and back. The new center also
will offer an amputation therapy program designed to help a patient re-learn skills and improve mobility to
attain the highest level of independence following the amputation of a limb.
The lymphedema therapy program will focus on treating swelling of the lower extremities as a result of
certain medical conditions, including chronic venous insufficiency, as well as swelling of the head and neck,
typically occurring as a result of cancer treatment.
Lymphedema is an abnormal swelling of a body part caused by an excessive buildup of fluid. Lymphedema
most often occurs after a lymph node dissection, surgery or radiation, all of which can damage the lymphatic
system during the treatment of cancer.
October 30, 2011 - Secondary Lymphedema in the cancer patient - WHIO Radio – By Steve Wilson -
The Dayton Daily News spent the entire month of October giving our readers special and in-depth coverage
for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
In today's story they look at a painful limb-swelling condition known as lymphedema.
A study by the University of Dayton confirm a common side effect of breast cancer treatment is
lymphedema.
Lymphedema is a condition characterized by swelling in one or more extremities that results from impaired
flow of the lymphatic system.
There's no cure for lymphedema, but it can be controlled.
Today's article concerns secondary lymphedema which affects both men and women.
In women, it is most prevalent in the upper limbs after breast cancer surgery.