12 February 2025

 

PATIENTS who undergo surgery for breast cancer and have their lymph nodes removed are at heightened risk of developing chronic lymphoedema, a condition which involves painful swelling of the limbs and trunk and requires lifelong treatment.

 

A team of physiotherapists at Central Coast Local Health District saw an opportunity to prevent or halt the progression of lymphoedema through early detection. The program enrols patients at the time of their cancer diagnosis and provides ongoing monitoring, education, and intervention throughout their cancer treatment and for up to two years after surgery.

 

Minister for Regional Health, Ryan Park said, “This proactive, early intervention program is a wonderful example of patient-centred care and it’s great to see a project so successful at a local level, developed and rolled out and benefiting patients right across NSW.

 

“This is the first time an early monitoring and lymphoedema prevention program has been implemented on this scale anywhere in the world.”

 

Minister for the Central Coast, David Harris said, “This world leading early intervention program highlights the life changing work being done by healthcare professionals on the Central Coast.

 

“We have already seen how effective this program has been in detection and prevention, with statistics showing the number of patients developing chronic lymphoedema has reduced."

 

Traditionally up to 30 per cent of patients will develop lymphoedema after breast cancer surgery however under this new model of care, CCLHD reduced chronic lymphoedema to less than five per cent of enrolled patients, paving the way for the program to be rolled out across NSW.

 

The program is available at 32 clinical sites across 13 local health districts in NSW. Since 2021, more than 6,500 patients have been part of the program. Evidence shows it has successfully prevented chronic lymphoedema in more than 700 patients, with only four per cent developing the condition.

 

Federal Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health, Emma McBride said that the Albanese Labor Government’s Lymphoedema Garments and Allied Health Therapy Program is empowering this life-saving work in our community.

 

“A cancer diagnosis can be one of the most difficult times in a person’s life,"Ms McBride said.

 

“Earlier intervention better supports patients to properly understand their diagnosis and prepare for their journey ahead.

 

“I’m pleased this program is delivering better outcomes for patients on the Central Coast.”

 

Central Coast Local Health District Senior Physiotherapist and Lymphoedema Practitioner, Courtney Clapham commented that in the past many patients had no knowledge of lymphoedema until they were told they had it.

 

“Our patients are supported and well-informed, with the program giving them the chance to take some control of their cancer journey and health outcomes going forward," Ms Chapman said.

 

“I’m so proud that the program has not only improved outcomes for our patients here on the Central Coast, but across NSW.”

 

Central Coast Local Health District patient Christine Walker said “Learning you have a cancer diagnosis is an anxiety-fuelled time, so when I learnt that I was at risk of developing lymphoedema after my surgery, I was extremely worried.

 

“I had an amazing experience with the early intervention program. My treatment is personalised, I have regular check ins and I have exercises to do at home. I believe the more information you have, the better, it means that I know what’s next and how to deal with it. For me, the program has been very reassuring.”

 

As well as delivering life-changing benefits for patients, an economic evaluation of the program showed for every dollar invested in the prevention program, approximately $8 were saved in treatment costs for patients who would otherwise have developed chronic lymphoedema.

 

The program is funded through the Commonwealth Government’s Lymphoedema Garments and Allied Health Therapy Program.

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