Preventing Arm Lymphedema After Breast Cancer Treatment

Support early prevention of post-treatment arm swelling

Can lymphedema be prevented or detected early enough to change outcomes? For many breast cancer survivors, arm swelling after treatment significantly affects quality of life. Early intervention can make a substantial difference.

On this course, developed by experts from Region Skåne, you’ll gain skills to implement effective lymphedema prevention programmes.

Understand the lymphatic system and treatment impacts

Explore lymphatic system function, anatomy, and physiology, with particular focus on how cancer treatments affect lymphatic flow. You’ll understand the mechanisms by which surgery and radiotherapy can lead to lymphedema.

This foundational knowledge guides clinical decision-making throughout patient care and helps you explain risks clearly to patients.

Implement early detection and treatment protocols

Learn why early intervention matters and how to conduct clinical assessments effectively. You’ll explore evidence-based early treatment approaches and understand the supporting research, including management of breast oedema.

These protocols, when implemented consistently, can significantly improve patient outcomes and quality of life.

Develop comprehensive prevention programmes

Explore practical prevention procedures, supportive aids, patient education approaches, and psychosocial considerations. You’ll learn organisational implementation strategies and how to collaborate effectively across healthcare disciplines.

You’ll walk away with the ability to develop sustainable programmes that deliver lasting improvements in patient care and a strong understanding of implementation challenges.

This course is ideal for doctors, nurses, and physiotherapists who treat breast cancer patients following axillary lymph node dissection and radiotherapy, and want to implement evidence-based prevention programmes.

This course is ideal for doctors, nurses, and physiotherapists who treat breast cancer patients following axillary lymph node dissection and radiotherapy, and want to implement evidence-based prevention programmes.

• Explain the etiology, pathophysiology and how cancer treatment can affect the lymphatic system.
• Identify breast cancer patients at risk of developing lymphedema and how to identify early arm lymphedema.
• Describe psychosocial problems and how the health-related quality of life can be affected in a patient with arm lymphedema.
• Describe prevention and implementation procedures, as well as the treatment methods, aids and individualized patient education used for arm lymphedema, and follow-up procedure.
• Explain the importance of prevention and early treatment of arm lymphedema in relation to the individual, other professional categories and the healthcare organization.