RICHMOND, Va. β VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center is now using cutting-edge technology to help breast cancer survivors avoid painful complications that can develop after treatment.
For breast cancer survivor Cynthia Bruner, wearing a compression sleeve is part of daily life. The sleeve, which extends from her hand to her shoulder, helps treat lymphedema β a condition she developed after her cancer treatment.
"I have a sleeve and I have a glove and the sleeve goes all the way to my shoulder. All the time. Bruner said.
Bruner was diagnosed with multiple tumors during her breast cancer journey.
"I was diagnosed with several tumors. I had two in my breast. I had several on my lymph nodes," Bruner said.
"It's very common for breast cancer to move underarm. So that's what happened to me. They removed 16 of them and eight had tumors," she said.
Lymph node surgery and radiation therapy can increase patients' risk of developing lymphedema. The disease causes patients to carry extra weight and fluid in a particular part of their body, which can cause swelling, pain and discomfort.
"So, when the lymph nodes get disrupted the lymph drainage from the arm can be disrupted and it can cause fluid accumulation in your arm," said Dr. Kandace McGuire, chief of breast surgery at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Early detection is crucial for treating lymphedema effectively.
"Studies have shown that if you can catch lymphedema early at stage zero, you can actually reverse it and actually cure it which is not possible in late stages," McGuire said.
Traditionally, lymphedema has been monitored using measuring tape to check if limbs begin to swell. However, this method has limitations.
"The problem is by the time you see those kind of measurements we're at least Stage 1," McGuire said.
To catch lymphedema earlier, Massey is now offering new technology called bio-impedance spectroscopy. This technology measures and tracks fluid in every limb of the body.
"It measures the time it takes for an electrical signal to move through that limb, so the longer it takes to move through the limb the more fluid you have," McGuire said.
The goal is to help breast cancer survivors maintain their quality of life after treatment.
"We expect the grand majority of our patients to do well and live very long lives. So, the really important part is to make sure they're living long lives but also full and complete lives," McGuire said.
While the technology cannot benefit Bruner, who has been a breast cancer survivor for 16 years, she is encouraged that it could help other patients.
"I think it's incredible. It sounds awesome," Bruner said.
"Just finding it earlier means you can get on treatment quickly and it won't get to a size that's harder to manage perhaps which is wonderful," she said.
Breast cancer patients at Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center will now be monitored using the new technology. The screening takes less than two minutes during a standard visit and is covered by most insurance plans.
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