New Technology Gives Hope to Cancer Survivors
September 1, 2007
QUEENSLAND biotechnology company ImpediMed Limited has developed a revolutionary device providing hope to more than 100,000 Australian women who have developed lymphedema as a secondary condition following breast cancer treatment.
The technology is the subject of a prospective study in the United States facilitating earlier detection and therapeutic intervention of lymphedema in breast cancer survivors. This study coincides with the Australian Government’s recent provision of $500,000 in funding to the National Breast Cancer Centre (NBCC) for initiatives to improve the knowledge and management of secondary lymphedema following treatment for all cancers.
ImpediMed CEO and Managing Director Greg Brown said the company’s noninvasive devices potentially allow doctors and health care professionals to detect lymphedema before the onset of visible signs. "As with many disorders early detection and intervention is proving to be crucial in preventing the progression of lymphedema in newly diagnosed cancer cases," said Mr Brown.
"The sensitivity of data collected from our devices allows clinicians to diagnose debilitating conditions such as lymphedema long before they would normally make a diagnosis using traditional methods."
Lymphedema is an accumulation of lymphatic fluid causing painful swelling, mainly in the limbs. It is a common complication among cancer patients who have had surgery or radiotherapy. If left untreated, lymphedema may result in several severe consequences, including fibrosis, joint immobility and infections requiring repeated hospitalisations for intensive intravenous antibiotic therapy.
Preliminary results from a five-year prospective study by the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH), sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), indicate that early diagnosis, coupled with timely treatment, may prevent the progression of lymphedema of the arm in breast cancer survivors.
NIH Principal Investigator Dr Charles McGarvey said the results of the US study point to a product that could potentially address an important unsatisfied medical need in the early detection and therapeutic monitoring of lymphedema.
"The ability to diagnose lymphedema at an earlier stage will allow therapeutic intervention before the progression of the disease to a stage of irreversible damage," said Dr McGarvey.
Mr Brown said ImpediMed hoped its devices would significantly assist in reducing the anxiety around lymphedema in newly diagnosed cancer patients. The device offers medical providers the ability now to treat lymphedema pre-emptively before visible signs of the disorder. Presently 300,000 Australians suffer from some form of lymphedema.
"More than 100,000 Australian women suffer from lymphedema as a complication of breast cancer treatment. In addition, 200,000 other Australians have acquired the disease as a result of operations, accidents, chronic venous diseases and primary lymphedema. Our devices provide a precise, non-invasive alternative to existing diagnostic techniques for clinically assessing lymphedema."
In line with the need for greater knowledge and management of secondary lymphedema, the NBCC has already formed a Steering Committee (chaired by Rebecca James, Chief Executive Officer of Research Australia) to oversee the delivery of its program work in secondary lymphedema to run from June 2007 to June 2008.
The first stage of the programme is to undertake a systematic review of relevant research about secondary lymphedema for all cancers and identify gaps in current evidence.
Clinical guides for general practitioners and Indigenous health professionals will also be developed. This will include resources for organisations to host multidisciplinary workshops about secondary lymphedema, an online learning module for rural and remote practitioners and a satellite broadcast through the Rural Health Education Foundation.
Breast Cancer Association of Queensland spokesperson Diane Smith said the incidence of lymphedema following breast cancer was a growing issue with women in regional and remote towns along with the apparent lack of treatment.
"Consequently, it is clear that funding is very important, ideally to enable nurses in these regional areas to undertake training in lymphedema, or to place physiotherapists trained in the management of this condition," said Ms Smith.
"Accordingly, any device which may enable early detection and even prevention of the progression of the disorder would be of great assistance in minimising the long-term effects of lymphedema."
| Greg Brown | CEO and Managing Director | Office: +61-7-3423-1777 |