Post by Beverley de Valois

"If you have the chance, try it ... it will change your life". These are the words of Val Fear, a breast cancer survivor with cancer treatment-related lymphoedema (CTRL), who tried acupuncture ... and liked it! 1 in 7 people treated for cancer will develop CTRL in their lifetime, yet research reports that healthcare professionals know little about it (https://lnkd.in/eU5jY-ds). Most associated with breast cancer, CTRL affects many tumour types, including head and neck, melanomas, cervical, endometrial, prostate, testicular cancers, and others. Cancer Survivors Month provides an opportunity to increase awareness of this consequence of cancer treatments, which is currently regarded as incurable, and has significant negative impact on the quality of life of those who live with the condition. It is also an opportunity to increase awareness of the role acupuncture can play in the multidisciplinary care of people with CTRL. Val participated in research assessing acupuncture’s impact on quality of life of people with upper body CTRL. The study provides reassurance to people with lymphoedema that they can safely use acupuncture to address a range of physical and emotional conditions and alleviate their symptom burden. This increases their options for managing their healthcare. The study also found acupuncture was a catalyst to improved self-care, a vital aspect in the management of this chronic condition. Watch the video to hear what lymphoedema nurse specialist Elaine Melsome, cancer survivor Val Fear, and acupuncture researcher – me - discovered in this study. And read these papers to find out more: de Valois BA, Young TE, Melsome E. Assessing the feasibility of using acupuncture and moxibustion to improve quality of life for cancer survivors with upper body lymphoedema. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2012 Jul;16(3):301-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ejon.2011.07.005. de Valois B, Asprey A, Young T. "The Monkey on Your Shoulder": A Qualitative Study of Lymphoedema Patients' Attitudes to and Experiences of Acupuncture and Moxibustion. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. doi: 10.1155/2016/4298420. (Awarded Honourable Mention in the 2016-2017 ISCMR Scientific Article Prize competition, (International Society for Complementary Medicine Research https://lnkd.in/e7H2bqfP)) #LymphaticHealth #PatientAdvocacy #WCSD2026 #integrativetherapy #integrativeoncology  British Lymphology Society Lymphatic Education & Research Network Canadian Lymphedema Framework Australasian Lymphology Association British Acupuncture Council Patient Information Forum (PIF) Self-Care Forum Tamara Kosevic Neil Piller Gaynor LEECH Natalie Kruger yolande borthwick Lorraine Brown Emma Underwood Shelley Smith DiCecco British Society for Integrative Oncology Society for Integrative Oncology Macmillan Cancer Support Cancer Research UK (CRUK) Karen Friett Lymphoedema Support Network Cancer Care Map https://lnkd.in/eJQn2PDi