Physiotherapy and cancer
According to the World Health Organization, cancer is a disease that affects a very large part of the population. For breast cancer, at least 1.7 million women will be diagnosed each year.
Understanding breast cancer
Breast cancer is a disease that presents as a formation of malignant cells in the form of tumors. These can spread through the body by attacking various organs as well as our lymphatic system. Despite the existence of several medical treatments aimed at the destruction of these tumors (surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy), several consequences can be associated with the treatment process as well as the convalescence associated with cancer.
Understanding the lymphatic system
The lymphatic system is a network that plays a very important role in our body. Indeed, it constitutes a large part of our immune system. Composed of vessels and ganglia, it helps us fight all kinds of diseases and infections. Unfortunately, breast cancer directly attacks this system. In other words, the higher levels of cancer severity, the more it will attack the lymphatic system.
Questions:
- Do you believe that physiotherapy intervention could be beneficial for a patient with breast cancer?
- Could a physiotherapist help with the loss of quality of life that results from medical treatments aimed at the destruction of these tumors?
