NSW Health has launched a pilot program across 13 local health districts (LHDs) to help improve the recovery of breast cancer surgery patients.
Chief Allied Health Officer at NSW Health, Andrew Davison said the Early Intervention and Prevention of Chronic Lymphoedema program was aimed at screening and assessing people who had undergone breast surgery for cancer to look for the early stages of lymphoedema.
Mr Davison said lymphoedema was the accumulation of excessive amounts of fluid, which resulted in swelling and pain to different parts of the body.
“Lymphoedema is a lifelong, chronic condition that can be debilitating and affects many breast cancer survivors,” Mr Davison said.
“Conservative estimates are that as many as 500 patients a year who have had breast surgery in NSW public hospitals will develop lymphoedema,” he said.
“We are hoping to reduce that by more than half.”
Mr Davison said the pilot would assess and monitor up to 2,500 people yearly who had had surgery in a public hospital across the 13 LHDs.
“Participants are followed up for 12-24 months after surgery by a lymphoedema-trained physiotherapist or occupational therapist and provided with early intervention if the early stages of lymphoedema is detected,” he said.
“Twenty physiotherapy and occupational therapy allied health professionals have already undergone training in lymphoedema therapy, with an additional four being trained later in the year.”
Mr Davison said the pilot program’s model of care was developed in consultation with NSW Health physiotherapists and occupational therapists who worked in lymphoedema management, the Australasian Lymphology Association and Macquarie University.
