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The Lymphedema Treatment Act (LTA) is a federal bill that aims to
improve insurance coverage for the medically necessary,
doctor-prescribed compression supplies that are the cornerstone of
lymphedema treatment.
Make Your Voice Heard by contacting members of Congress and asking them
to support this important bill. Our advocacy tools make it easy to take
action. Learn
more >
Advocacy For
Lymphedema
. . .a
continuing work in progress
Here's an opportunity to make a
difference in lymphedema research, and all it takes is a minute of
your time, so PLEASE help. Whether you already have lymphedema, are
at risk for it, or are a loved one or caregiver of someone who is,
here's a way to make our voice heard about the need for further
research:
A lymphedema researcher named
Dr. Mei Fu, from New York University, is
researching the importance of patient lymphedema education for both
risk reduction and on-going self-management. The idea is that our
medical professionals are supposed to take an active role in
educating their patients about their risk for lymphedema and how to
manage it. Which of course means the professionals themselves will
be learning about lymphedema.
Here's a link to Dr. Mei Fu's
latest published study;
Breast-Cancer-Related Lymphedema: Information, Symptoms, and
Risk-Reduction Behaviors,
Authors: Fu,
Mei R.;
Axelrod, Deborah; Haber, Judith, Source: Journal of Nursing
Scholarship, Volume 40, Number 4, December 2008, pp. 341-348(8)
It's very hard for lymphedema researchers to get funding for their
studies. Dr. Mei Fu got her funding for this one from the Avon
Foundation, but she still needs their help to continue her work. You
can help sending Avon an email thanking them for funding this study
and encouraging them to continue to fund studies that help us get
the care we need. Of course you may mention you're a lymphedema
patient, and that getting lymphedema information has been difficult,
or whatever else you'd like to point out (briefly, of course!)
Here's the person to contact at the Avon Foundation:
Dr. Marc Hurlbert Marc.Hurlbert@avonfoundation.org
Thanks for joining us in making a difference!
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RECRUITING MORE VOLUNTEERS FOR
LYMPHEDEMA RESEARCH
Dr. Fu needs patient
volunteers for another upcoming research project she is currently
doing. She needs 46 more volunteers.
The purpose of the study is to develop reliable and valid
questionnaires that evaluate women's experience of reducing risk of
lymphedema following breast cancer treatment.
Anyone can take part in the study that has been diagnosed with
lymphedema after breast cancer and has none of the following
conditions:
Renal or heart failure
Cardiac pacemaker or defibrillator
Artificial limbs
Is pregnant.
If people agree to participate in this study, they will be asked to:
1. Complete a questionnaire about their background (age, education,
etc.)
2. Complete several questionnaire's about their experience of
reducing the risk of lymphedema in their daily lives.
3. The researchers will also complete a tape and bioimpedance
measurement on their upper arm to access lymph fluid involvement.
(This will take place in NYC.)
Participation in the study will take approximately 60 minutes, If
you are interested in helping with this lymphedema study, contact
Dr. Fu directly. Here is Dr. Fu's information:
Dr. Mei R. Fu, PhD, RN, APRN-BC
Assistant Professor
College of Nursing
New York University
Phone: 212-998-5314
Cell Phone: 973-986-1758
E-Mail:
mf67@nyu.edu
Dr. Fu has published some wonderful research on lymphedema in the
past and we thank her for her dedication to lymphedema research.
Women at Work with Breast Cancer-related Lympheodema. Fu,
M.R. (2008). Journal of Lymphedema, 3(1), 30-36.
Age Differences in Post-Breast Cancer Lymphedema Signs and Symptoms.
ARTICLES Cancer Nursing. 28(3):200-207, May/June 2005. Armer, Jane
PhD, RN; Fu, Mei R. PhD, RN
Breast
Cancer Survivors' Intentions of Managing Lymphedema, Mei R.
Fu, PhD, RN, CNS (2005)
Cancer-Related Lymphedema: Information, Symptoms, and
Risk-Reduction Behaviors, Authors: Fu, Mei R.;
Axelrod, Deborah; Haber, Judith, Source: Journal of Nursing
Scholarship, Volume 40, Number 4, December 2008 , pp. 341-348(8)
The Effect of Providing Information about Lymphedema on the
Cognitive and Symptom Outcomes of Breast Cancer Survivors.
College of Nursing, New York University,
New York, NY, USA,
mf67@nyu.edu.
Ann Surg Oncol.
2010 Feb 6. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID: 20140528 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
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Comprehensive New paper on Lymphedema Just Published
A comprehensive paper has just
been published
Lymphedema: A primer on the
identification and management of a chronic
condition in oncologic treatment,
[CA
Cancer J Clin 2009;59;8-24]
written by Brian D. Lawenda, Tammy E. Mondry and Peter A. S.
Johnstone.
This paper was
published in the Ca
Cancer Journal for Clinicians. It is an extremely
comprehensive and up-to-date primer on lymphedema with the latest
statistical data regarding its occurrence rates, treatment
modalities etc.
This is a paper that should
be emailed, forwarded, copied and printed for all our medical
professionals to add to their current library of resource material
on lymphedema.
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Medicare and Disability Information
Coming soon. . .
LANA standards for therapist training
Lymphedema in the curriculum of med schools and
nursing programs
Professional education
of:
- Doctors
-
Nurses - in-service, continuing education
-
Cancer center counselors
- Physical, occupational and massage therapists
- TV News and talk shows (Oprah, etc.)
- Radio
interviews
- Newspapers (human interest, editorial, health
concerns)
- Women's Magazines
- Professional journals (nursing, oncology, etc.)
- Pre-surgical assessment and follow-up
- Patient information classes
- Quality of Life
counseling with lymphedema diagnosis
Challenging web-based misinformation
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page)
Page Last Modified
09/29/2015 |
