Physiotherapists call for rehabilitation to be included in breast-cancer care

The Turkish Cypriot Physiotherapists Association has called for rehabilitation to be treated as an integral part of comprehensive breast-cancer care, with support continuing beyond the end of treatment.

Reporting on the association’s statement, Yeniduzen said member Emine Kütüküt highlighted the physical difficulties that breast cancer and its treatment can cause. These may include pain, reduced movement in the arm and shoulder, lower muscle strength and fatigue, she said.

Kütüküt said patients should not necessarily wait until treatment has finished before they are assessed and considered for rehabilitation. Physiotherapy should instead be planned alongside the oncology team, based on the patient’s health status and stage of treatment, according to the report.

She said appropriately selected exercises may help improve arm and shoulder mobility, muscle strength and physical endurance, and may also support efforts to reduce cancer-related fatigue.

The physiotherapist also drew attention to lymphoedema, which she said can develop in the hand, arm or chest area, particularly after surgery involving lymph nodes or following radiotherapy. It may appear months or years later, she said, adding that new swelling, heaviness or tightness should be discussed with a healthcare team. Kütüküt also noted that not every instance of swelling indicates lymphoedema.

According to the report, possible management approaches include individually tailored exercise, skin care, compression and, where needed, manual lymphatic drainage.

The association said rehabilitation should address difficulties affecting women’s movement, work and social lives, and that this support should continue after treatment. Its position places physiotherapy within a broader approach to recovery rather than limiting care to the period of active cancer treatment.