Breaststroke Swimming After Breast Cancer Treatment/Surgery as a Means of Treatment for Seroma, Lymphedema, and Chronic Arm and Chest Pain
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
128 participants
Jan 1, 2023
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
Following surgery and treatment for breast cancer, many patients experience swelling of lymph nodes (lymphedema) or accumulation of fluid (seroma) that can cause pain, restrict movement, and reduce quality of life. Current treatments include massage, pressure dressings, and drainage, but these are often ineffective and do not last. Physical activity, in particular swimming, has been linked to improvement in lymphedema/seroma symptoms, but more research is required to determine whether or not this type of treatment is effective.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria1
- Eligible participants include adult female patients, 18 years of age or higher, from the Ottawa Hospital who are post-operative from a lumpectomy or a mastectomy with or without full axillary dissection and radiation. They will be less than 3 years from completion of their acute cancer treatment. Study subjects must have pain symptoms related to chest wall pain and/or arm morbidity, seroma or lymphedema. They must have approval from their medical and radiation oncologist to participate in the study upon enrollment.
Exclusion Criteria1
- Patients with ongoing medical problems where swimming would be contraindicated will be excluded from this study. Those who swam on a regular basis prior to their breast cancer diagnosis will be excluded from the study, as well as those who cannot swim, due to safety concerns and limited resources/time required to complete more in-depth swimming instruction.
Interventions
Patients will participate in 8 weeks of the swimming program, which involves three weekly swimming sessions of 30 minutes minimum.
Locations(1)
View Full Details on ClinicalTrials.gov
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NCT04080934