Oncology Rehab 103 - Healing after Breast Cancer Surgery and Reconstruction

Course overview

Did you know that there are approximately 3.8 million breast cancer survivors in the United States today? This year 55,720 women will have been diagnosed with early stage breast cancer and 297,790 women will have been diagnosed with breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast. Why is this important? It is inevitable that you will be treating patients for other issues, and breast cancer will be part of their medical history. Will you know the short and long term effects of breast cancer surgery and reconstruction? How will that effect your treatment? It is important to understand the lymphatic, musculoskeletal, integumentary and postural implications of these surgeries in order to provide safe and effective treatment. In addition, we do not want to ignore the functional and psychosocial issues that can arise.