RESUMO
Introduction: Lymphedema is the most feared complication that may take place after breast cancer treatment. With treatment progression, doubts have arisen regarding the real benefits of lymphedema prevention care, as well as of patient adherence to guidelines. Objective: In this context, the aim of this study was to assess patient adherence to preventive lymphedema guidelines and the distribution of sociodemographic, clinical, and treatment variables according to adherence to treatment. Methods: A crosssectional study conducted at the Cancer Hospital III/INCA, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, concerning patients with breast cancer undergoing surgical treatment with an axillary approach. Participants were questioned about assistance care performance, exercise-related care, and limb ipsilateral to surgery care. A descriptive analysis of patient demographic, clinical, treatments, postoperative complications variables, and main outcomes (adherence to the guidelines) was performed through a central tendency measure and data dispersion and frequency measures analyses. Differences between means were assessed using the Student's t-test, while differences between proportions were evaluated using the chi-square test. A significance level of 5% was considered for all assessments. Results: Of the 103 women included in this study, 89.3% adhered to assistance care, 61.2% adhered to limb care, and 42.7% performed exercise-related care. Women undergoing chemotherapy (p = 0.030) and axillary lymphadenectomy (AL) (p = 0.017) exhibited greater adherence to care. Non-white patients (p = 0.048) and those who underwent AL (p = 0.025) adhered to limb care more frequently. Finally, patients displaying lower education levels (p = 0.013) and those who underwent AL (p = 0.009) adhered more frequently to limb exercises. Conclusion: Patients adhered the most to assistance care and limb care compared to exercise practice. Patients undergoing chemotherapy displayed greater adherence to care and non-white patients adhered the most to limb care. Women who underwent AL displayed greater adherence to all types of care and those presenting lower education levels adhered more frequently to exercise guidelines.
RESUMO
Introdução: O linfedema é a complicação mais frequente após a cirurgia do câncer de mama. A intervenção fisioterapêutica precoce é fundamental para melhorar a qualidade de vida e prevenir tal sequela, porém as orientações preventivas podem gerar um sentimento de incapacidade e limitação. Objetivo: Identificar o nível de compreensão e a adesão das pacientes às orientações fisioterapêuticas na prevenção e cuidado do linfedema. Método: Pesquisa descritiva, qualitativa, realizada no Hospital do Câncer III do Instituto Nacional de Câncer José Alencar Gomes da Silva (INCA). Foram incluídas 14 pacientes, submetidas a tratamento cirúrgico para o câncer de mama, sendo realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas. Resultados: As pacientes entrevistadas relataram que receberam orientações da equipe de fisioterapia e compreenderam a importância das recomendações. Os principais sentimentos despertados, ao serem questionadas sobre a adesão aos cuidados preventivos, foram a preocupação, o medo e o pânico, além do fantasma do linfedema. As entrevistadas reconheceram que, logo após a cirurgia, aderiram mais aos cuidados preventivos, mas que com o passar do tempo, essa rotina de cuidados tornou-se mais complicada, especialmente diante de seus compromissos domésticos. Conclusão: Pôde-se perceber que essas mulheres convivem com um grande medo de desenvolver o linfedema, porém têm a forte necessidade de retomar suas tarefas domésticas. Foi marcante nas falas o quanto as orientações fisioterapêuticas geram angústia, tristeza e sensação de inutilidade nessas mulheres. A fisioterapia deve estar atenta à maneira como apresenta as orientações preventivas de linfedema, devendo buscar sempre a adaptação e nunca a proibição, de forma a trazer compreensão e promover a cooperação, compartilhando com as mulheres a responsabilidade por seu autocuidado.
Introduction: Lymphedema is the most common complication after breast cancer surgery. Early physiotherapeutic intervention is essential to improve quality of life and prevent such sequelae, but preventive guidelines can generate a feeling of incapacity and limitation. Objective: To identify the level of understanding and adherence of patients to physiotherapeutic guidelines in the prevention and care of lymphedema. Method: Descriptive, qualitative research, performed at Hospital de Cancer III the National Cancer Institute José Alencar Gomes da Silva (INCA). Fourteen patients were submitted to surgical treatment for breast cancer, and semi-structured interviews were performed. Results: The patients interviewed reported that they received guidance from the physiotherapy team and understood the importance of the recommendations. The main feelings aroused when asked about adherence to preventive care were worry, fear and panic, as well as the phantom of lymphedema. The interviewees recognized that soon after the surgery, they adhered more to preventive care, but that with the passage of time, this routine of care became more complicated, especially in front of their domestic commitments. Conclusion: We can see that these women coexist with a great fear of developing lymphedema, but they have a strong need to resume their domestic tasks. It was remarkable in the speeches how much the physiotherapeutic orientations generate anguish, sadness and sense of uselessness in these women. Physiotherapy should be attentive to the way it presents the preventive guidelines for lymphedema, and should always seek adaptation and never prohibition, in order to bring understanding and promote cooperation, sharing with women the responsibility for their self-care.
Introducción: El linfedema es la complicación más frecuente después de la cirugía del cáncer de mama. La intervención fisioterapéutica precoz es fundamental para mejorar la calidad de vida y prevenir tal secuela, sin embargo, las orientaciones preventivas pueden generar un sentimiento de incapacidad y limitación. Objetivo:Identificar el nivel de comprensión y adhesión de las pacientes a las orientaciones fisioterapéuticas en la prevención y cuidado del linfedema. Método: Investigación descriptiva, cualitativa, realizada en el Hospital del Cáncer III del Instituto Nacional de Cáncer José Alencar Gomes da Silva (INCA). Se incluyeron 14 pacientes, sometidos a tratamiento quirúrgico para el cáncer de mama, realizándose entrevistas semiestructuradas. Resultados: Las pacientes entrevistadas relataron que recibieron orientaciones del equipo de fisioterapia y comprendieron la importancia de las recomendaciones. Los principales sentimientos despertados al ser cuestionados sobre la adhesión a los cuidados preventivos fueron la preocupación, el miedo y el pánico, además del fantasma del linfedema. Las entrevistadas reconocieron que luego de la cirugía, se adhirieron más a los cuidados preventivos, pero que, con el paso del tiempo, esa rutina de cuidados se volvió más complicada, especialmente ante sus compromisos domésticos. Conclusión: Se puede percibir que esas mujeres conviven con un gran miedo a desarrollar el linfedema, pero tienen la fuerte necesidad de reanudar sus tareas domésticas. Fue marcante en las conversaciones cuanto las orientaciones fisioterapéuticas generan angustia, tristeza y sensación de inutilidad en esas mujeres. La fisioterapia debe estar atenta a la manera como presenta las orientaciones preventivas de linfedema, debiendo buscar siempre la adaptación y nunca la prohibición, para traer comprensión y promover la cooperación, compartiendo con las mujeres la responsabilidad por su autocuidado.