Advancing Patient Care for Lymphatic Pain and Lymphedema

Patients with financial hardship are 4.64 times more likely to report lymphatic pain. Further, obesity/high body mass index is an important risk factors for lymphatic pain and lymphedema. Effective management of lymphatic pain can decrease the risk of lymphedema and reverse mild lymphedema as well as improve daily living functions, psychological distress, and quality of life. The-Optimal-Lymph-Flow (TOLF) is a non-pharmacological and digital behavioral intervention that builds patients' self-care skills to promote lymph flow and result in complete pain reduction, reduced lymph fluid level, reversed mild lymphedema, improved psychological distress and quality of life. Of concern, this effective intervention has not been adapted to reduce patient barriers (e.g., available care, cost, time, travel, competing demands) and health system barriers (e.g., intervention availability, staffing, therapist) to timely interventions faced by patients, especially those with financial hardship.

The purpose of the project is to adapt The-Optimal-Lymph-Flow (TOLF) in clinical practice. A digital lymphatic pain and lymphedema assessment will be implemented in clinical practice, conduct clinician training and deliver TOLF Self-Care interventions to patients with lymphatic pain at Richard & Annette Block Cancer Center at University Health Kansas City. The objectives of the study are: 1) Conduct a pragmatic clinical implementation study with 100 patients to evaluate implementation effectiveness of lymphatic pain assessment; 3) Conduct a pragmatic, one-group, 12-week clinical trial with 35 patients with lymphatic pain to evaluate real-world clinical effectiveness of TOLF Self-Care intervention.

The project has potential to have major impact on advancing patient care for lymphatic pain and lymphedema, especially in patients with financial hardship. The project will showcase the way of how to build clinical capacity to provide quality care for patients with lymphatic pain and lymphedema in health systems across the nation.

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria

for patient participants are a) Patients over age 18 who received surgical treatment for breast cancer at least 3 months prior to the study enrollment; b) Patients reported lymphatic pain; c) Patients who are able to understand the study protocols presented in English language.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria

include a) presence of a serious psychiatric condition (e.g., schizophrenia, suicidal intent) indicated by medical chart, treating oncologist or other staff, or study staff interactions that would contraindicate safe study participation; b) known metastatic disease (Stage IV), recurrence of cancer, or lymphedema due to cancer recurrence, or cancer in the thoracic or cervical regions.