Breast cancer is the 2nd most common cancer in Canada, and 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. This online training course, based on the latest evidence, will give you a clear understanding of the role of physiotherapy professionals in breast cancer.

First of all, we’ll look at the different types of breast cancer surgery, as well as the adjuvant treatments often associated with them, and the many side effects they can have. Certain consequences with a greater functional impact will be further elaborated, such as Axillary Web Syndrome, neuropathies, post-radiotherapy skin and muscle fibrosis, and lymphedema.

The involvement of physiotherapists in both the pre-operative and post-operative phases will then be explored in greater detail, in order to promote optimal recovery from surgery and the various treatments that follow.

In short, at the end of this training course, you will be able to work with this clientele on both preventive and curative levels, and will be in a position to effectively and safely assess a user following breast surgery, in order to offer them the best possible care and enable them to recover optimally.

Objectives:

1. Understand the different types of breast surgery.
2. Understand the neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatments available for non-metastatic breast cancer.
3. Know the main side effects of neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatments that have an impact on our physiotherapy interventions.
4. Understand what Axillary Web Syndrome is.
5. Assess, treat and counsel patients with Axillary Web Syndrome.
6. Understand post-operative and post-chemotherapy neuropathies and their associated consequences.
7. Know how to counsel users with post-operative or post-chemotherapy neuropathies in order to minimize their consequences and promote their alleviation.
8. Understand post-radiotherapy skin and muscle fibrosis
9. Know how to advise users undergoing adjuvant radiotherapy on the preventive exercises to be applied and the recommended duration of treatment.
10. Know how to assess, treat and advise users with post-radiotherapy skin and muscle fibrosis in order to limit the functional impact and maximize their recovery.
11. Understand what lymphedema is following breast cancer, and know the evidence on the different risk factors for lymphedema.
12. Know how to advise users on the prevention of post-operative lymphedema.
13. Know how to assess and detect the early onset of lymphedema.
14. Advise patients on the early treatment of lymphedema (without CDT).
15. Be familiar with the various preoperative physiotherapy teaching options available to breast cancer patients.
16. Explore a model for post-operative physiotherapy group teaching for the prevention of post-breast surgery sequelae.
17. Explore a possible physiotherapy service offering for individual post-breast surgery patients.
18. To be able to safely and effectively assess and treat a post-breast surgery patient presenting with various sequelae of surgery or related treatments.
19. Be aware of the various physiotherapy resources already available in connection with breast cancer, and know how to refer users to the right resources if need be.