Comprehensive Physical Therapy of the Breast Cancer Patient

Overview

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the world. As a physiotherapist, it is likely that someone with breast cancer who is experiencing related concerns will come to visit you. When this happens, it is important that you are prepared – you should be confident in what your role as a physiotherapist is before, during, and after the patient’s treatment period.

Research has shown that patients with breast cancer experience a steep decline in their vO2 max throughout treatment. This indicates that women undergoing treatment are at a greater risk of death from cardiovascular disease than from breast cancer. As a physiotherapist, it is important to recognize these findings – it is vital to investigate why this might be the case and find ways to work around them to decrease the negative indirect effects of treatment. In doing so, you ensure that the patient is in the most optimal position throughout the duration of their treatment, further limiting other associated long-term effects.

This online course will provide you with insights from individuals with experience in assessing and treating those with breast cancer.

In this course, you will explore the following items:

• The multifaceted physical therapy approach to the care of individuals with breast cancer.
• The benefits of physical activity and its prescription during active chemotherapy treatments.
• The physiotherapy management of upper extremity dysfunction and lymphedema after breast cancer surgery (with and without breast reconstruction) in order to ensure you feel more confident in addressing these issues in their clinical setting.
• Screening for pelvic health dysfunctions and pelvic floor interventions for the pelvic floor physiotherapist as well as for the general practitioner.

Learning Objectives

In this online course, you will explore a multifaceted physiotherapy approach to treating individuals with breast cancer. The following topics will be covered:  

• Upper quadrant issues/shoulder dysfunction
• Breast cancer-related lymphedema
• Pelvic floor issues
• Considerations for physical activity and exercise during chemotherapy
  
  

Audience

This online course is available to physiotherapists that want to learn more about how to best care for people with breast cancer. It is brought to you by the Pelvic and Reproductive Health Division of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA).

This course was recorded at the Canadian Physiotherapy Association Congress in May 2022.