Write a commentIn 2018, more than 250,000 new cases of breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in women in the United States (US), and roughly one in eight women will develop breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.
This means that over time, breast cancer will play a part in nearly everyone’s life.
After being diagnosed with breast cancer, there are several different treatments a person may go through. These can include surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy. Though powerful, these treatment options can be accompanied with side effects causing or exasperating wounds and other various conditions.
- Chemotherapy: Chemo can cause skin reactions including photosensitivity, nail changes, transient erythema, hyperpigmentation and palmar/plantar syndrome. Chemo can inhibit cell division and put the patient at a greater risk of infection.
- Surgery: Side-effects from surgery tend to result in wounds that are complicated and difficult to heal.
- Radiation: Long term effects of radiotherapy on the skin may include microvascular damage, skin atrophy and soft tissue fibrosis.
Some side effects associated with breast cancer treatments can be addressed with advanced wound care and, when appropriate, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) at a Wound Care Center®. HBOT addresses the lack of oxygen in the cells caused by radiation damage by increasing the amount of oxygen within the tissues to aid recovery.
This October, the Center for Wound Healing at Oswego Health wants to encourage you to raise awareness and get screened. If you have a hard to heal wound, you can reach the Wound Care Center at 315-326-3780 or visit them online at oswegohealth.org.
# # # About Healogics:
Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., Healogics is the nation’s wound healing expert. Last year over 300,000 patients received advanced wound care through a nationwide network of over 600 Wound Care Centers®. The Healogics team is made up of nearly 3,000 employees, 4,000 affiliated physicians and a Healogics Specialty Physician practice group of almost 300. In addition to the company’s network of outpatient Centers, Healogics partners with over 300 skilled nursing facilities to care for patients with chronic wounds, and provides inpatient consults at 85 partner hospitals. As the industry leader, Healogics has the largest repository of chronic wound-specific patient data in the country. The Healogics Wound Science Initiative, an effort launched in 2017 to provide peer-reviewed research, recognizes the value and relevance of big data and advanced analytics to drive continuous, collaborative learning towards a better understanding of how to efficiently utilize healthcare resources for patients with wounds. For additional information, please visit Healogics.com.
# # # About Oswego Health:
The mission of Oswego Health is to provide accessible, quality care and improve the health of residents throughout Oswego County. As a not-for-profit healthcare system that was established in 1881, Oswego Health is proud to continue to be one of Oswego County’s largest employers. More than 1,200 employees work for the Oswego Health system, which includes the 164-bed community Oswego Hospital, a 28-bed psychiatric acute-care facility with multiple outpatient behavioral health service locations, The Manor at Seneca Hill, a 120-bed skilled nursing facility, and Springside at Seneca Hill, a retirement community. Oswego Health also has Health Services Centers located throughout Oswego County. For more information about Oswego Health, please visit our website www.oswegohealth.org.
Statement: In 2018 it is estimated that over 250,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the U.S. and roughly 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.
Source: https://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/understand_bc/statistics
Statement: In the year 2000 U.S. breast cancer incidence rates began to decline for the first time in 20 years. It is believed that the decrease in utilization of hormone replacement therapy played a role in the decline.
Source: http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/understand_bc/statistics
Statement: Death rates due to breast cancer have also been on the decline since 1990 which is largely in part due to early detection, better screening, and increased awareness of the disease.
Source: http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/understand_bc/statistics
Statement: After being diagnosed with breast cancer, there are a number of different treatments a woman may go through. These can include surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy.
Source: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/breastcancer.html
Statement: Though powerful, these treatment options can be accompanied with side effects causing or exasperating wounds and other various conditions.
Source: http://www.woundsinternational.com/media/issues/158/files/content_122.pdf
Statement: Chemotherapy: Chemo can cause skin reactions including photosensitivity, nail changes, transient erythema, hyperpigmentation and palmar/plantar syndrome. Chemo can inhibit cell division and put the patient at a greater risk of infection.
Source: http://www.woundsinternational.com/media/issues/158/files/content_122.pdf
Statement: Surgery: Side-effects from surgery tend to result in wounds that are complicated and difficult to heal.
Source: http://www.woundsinternational.com/media/issues/158/files/content_122.pdf
Statement: Radiation: Long term effects of radiotherapy on the skin may include microvascular damage, skin atrophy, and soft tissue fibrosis.
Source: http://www.woundsinternational.com/media/issues/158/files/content_122.pdf
Statement: Some side effects associated with breast cancer treatments can be addressed with advanced wound care and, when appropriate, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) at a Wound Care Center®. HBOT addresses the lack of oxygen in the cells caused by radiation damage by increasing the amount of oxygen within the tissues to aid recovery
Source: Wound Healing Perspectives Volume 7 #3 2010 Page 8
Statement: Breast cancer affects women worldwide and in countries at all levels of modernization
Source: http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-facts
Statement: It is the most common cancer among women in the entire world.
Source: http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-facts
