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Description
The National Health Fund says that in Poland in 2018-2019, approximately 36 000 people (1% of which were men) were diagnosed with breast cancer. Oncology in Poland and the spectrum covering breast cancer is developing, but not evenly: surgery is almost at a European level, but physiotherapy is behind in development. For people undergoing and who have completed treatment for breast cancer (yearly increase in Poland of 1900), rehabilitation is vital to function in professional, community, and family life, and significantly reduces the risk of vulnerability. Unfortunately, access is limited. In addition, everyone requires their own individual course of rehabilitation according to the oncoplastic method employed and other factors. This area of science has not been reviewed in Poland for more than twenty years, and physiotherapists have negligible knowledge of this subject.This project addresses the unavailability of modern, personalized rehabilitation for breast cancer patients during and upon completion of treatment.In collaboration between oncoplastic surgeons and physiotherapists, a wortal will be created with forty films, exercises developed in a new approach to breast surgery rehabilitation, and an algorithm that produces a highly personalized guide at each convalescence stage based on data inserted by the user. The wortal will serve a research, educational, and consulting purpose. We will enable sharing of know-how and posing of questions to experts on the wortal, as well as face-to-face consultations in four cities.The project will benefit persons who have had surgery: 3000 people will have improved physical fitness and mental health following surgery and radiotherapy, 2000 of whom will reach a level at which they can resume their pre-diagnosis community, professional, and family roles.
Summary of project results
The project addresses the lack of access to modern individualised rehabilitation for breast cancer patients. According to the National Health Fund, breast cancer was diagnosed in approximately 36,000 people in 2018-2019, 99% of whom were women. Polish oncology and breast cancer treatment is developing, but unevenly. Surgery is at a high level, but the development of physiotherapy is lagging behind. Annually, there are 19,000 people in Poland during and after breast cancer treatment. Rehabilitation is essential for them to function and lead professional, social and family life and significantly reduces the risk of social exclusion. Unfortunately, access to it is very limited. Moreover, each person requires a different rehabilitation pathway depending on the oncoplastic method used, the stage of combined treatment and the time elapsed since surgery.
The project created an educational and consultation vortal for breast cancer patients. A total of 114 exercise videos developed on the basis of a new approach to rehabilitation for people after breast surgery were recorded. The videos were made available on the portal and assigned to individual 215 rehabilitation pathways. An algorithm placed on the website generated - after the user entered data - personalized instruction for each stage of recovery.In addition, physiotherapy consultations were offered to patients. These were provided both on-site at the Breast Cancer Awareness Centre and online. 150 women benefited from the consultations.48,000 information brochures were printed and distributed at medical events and sent to medical and referral facilities and hospitals nationwide.
The main target group was patients with breast cancer, gene mutation and family history. Thanks to the project, the patients'' quality of function improved, their recovery process accelerated, and the risk of complications after radiotherapy decreased. Patients were more willing to accept their bodies after cancer treatment. During the project, up to 3756 female users registered on the vortal and generated a personalised rehabilitation pathway for themselves. The project contributed to the creation of the first therapeutic guidelines for patients with breast cancer by the Polish Rehabilitation Association. The Project Promoter created a modern and effective tool to support rehabilitation after oncological surgery, which can serve as a model for other similar initiatives.