Increased Funding For National Breast Cancer Centre, Australia

Main Category: Breast Cancer
Also Included In: Lymphology/Lymphedema
Article Date: 17 Apr 2007 - 6:00 PDT

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The Commonwealth Government will provide funding of $500,000 to the National Breast Cancer Centre (NBCC) for initiatives to help patients affected by lymphoedema after treatment.

Lymphoedema is an accumulation of lymphatic fluid that causes painful swelling, mostly in the arms and legs, after surgery or radiation therapy. If the lymph nodes are removed by surgery or damaged by radiotherapy, fluid can accumulate in the tissues and swelling occurs.

The funding will allow the NBCC to produce clinical guides on managing lymphoedema for general practitioners and patients. The funding will also provide a series of workshops on managing lymphoedema for general practitioners and other primary health care staff, including Aboriginal Health Workers.

At present, there are no lymphoedema guides in Australia for either the public or health professionals.

The NBCC has a wide knowledge of and expertise in breast and ovarian cancers and is well placed to develop a variety of information materials to help Australians with lymphoedema.

Consumer materials will also be produced in a form accessible to Indigenous Australians with lymphoedema, including those in rural and remote regions of Australia.

The exact number of people who have lymphoedema in Australia is uncertain, but estimates place the number in the order of 300,000.

www.health.gov.au

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