Rehabilitation of patients after the radical treatment of primary breast cancer by the methods of physical therapy

The long-term observation of 1460 patients suffering upper limb oedema after the radical treatment of primary breast cancer has demonstrated high efficiency of medical rehabilitation and remarkable stability of its outcome. The remedial procedures used in this study included pneumocompression, muscular electrostimulation, and low-frequency magnetotherapy. The authors emphasize the importance of the early beginning of postoperative rehabilitation as well as its multifaceted character. Analysis of the survivorship data obtained in the study revealed the lack of undesirable effects of the above physiotherapeutic methods on the clinical course of stage I-III B breast cancer in patients who underwent surgical treatment and showed no manifestations of malignant neoplasms during the rehabilitation period. It is concluded that the proposed rehabilitation programs are safe for the patients presenting with upper limb oedema in terms of oncological outcome.

primary breast cancer, upper limb oedema, postoperative rehabilitation, magnetotherapy, pneumocompression, muscular electrostimulation