New Program Offers Breast Cancer Clinicians and Patients Support for Pre-Operative Clinical Assessment and Ongoing Surveillance of Lymphedema
Advocate Foundation (PAF), with support from ImpediMed Ltd. (ASX: IPD), is
pleased to announce the launch of the Lymphedema CareLine (LCL). PAF, through
its MedCare Division, is offering the national, toll-free patient/provider
hotline designed to provide information and assistance to breast cancer
patients who are or may be at risk for post-treatment side effects such as
lymphedema (swelling due to blockage in the lymphatic system).
Staffed by a dedicated team of multilingual clinical case managers with
nursing and social work experience, the LCL offers personal case management
services, including the dissemination of information about lymphedema,
navigation through the reimbursement system, interpretation of a patients’
health insurance benefit language, provision of direct appeals assistance and
linkage to appropriate educational and support resources. The hotline can be
accessed at (866) 949-1978 or on the Web at LCL.patientadvocate.org.
The LCL is the latest addition to PAF’s portfolio of patient services,
which include direct case management services; the National Hispanic/Latino,
African American and Senior Outreach initiatives; Hematologic Cancer Education
Program; ACS/PAF Partnership Program and the national Lance Armstrong
Foundation Livestrong SurvivorCare partnership.
“While better treatment and earlier detection of breast cancer has
extended survival rates, lymphedema remains a significant risk to a woman’s
quality of life,” said
PAF. “We are encouraged to know that ImpediMed’s technology can aid doctors in
the pre-operative clinical assessment and ongoing surveillance of patients to
help manage this impairment in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients and
women at risk.”
reimbursement system in order to obtain appropriate pre- and post-operative
care following a diagnosis of breast cancer can be confusing and overwhelming
for patients. Options such as the Lymphedema CareLine offer a centralized
resource for information and direct support to help clinicians and their
patients manage this potentially serious side effect of primary breast cancer
treatment.”
PAF’s Lymphedema CareLine. Patients and doctors can be guided to available
resources that help put lymphedema education and counseling on the clinical
care agenda from day one. ImpediMed’s FDA-cleared device is designed to aid
doctors in the clinical assessment of patients for any signs of lymphedema
when it is most likely to be effectively treated.”
About Lymphedema
Lymphedema is a condition that can cause significant swelling of the upper
and lower extremities due to the build-up of excess lymph fluid. This can
occur when the lymphatic system, which is responsible for draining excess
fluid from the body and is a key component of the immune system, is damaged or
altered. In breast cancer patients, this can occur after surgery, such as
removal or biopsy of the lymph nodes, and/or radiation therapy. It is
estimated that 6 percent to 40 percent of patients with breast cancer develop
lymphedema, and that it often occurs within the first two years after surgery.
For some cancer survivors and others at risk, lymphedema can occur 10 years to
15 years following the initial primary treatment and develop into a condition
that has a serious impact on overall health and quality of life.
About Patient Advocate Foundation
Patient Advocate Foundation is a national non-profit organization that
seeks to safeguard patients through effective mediation assuring access to
care, maintenance of employment and preservation of their financial stability.
More information may be obtained at www.patientadvocate.org or by calling
(800) 532-5274.
About ImpediMed
ImpediMed Ltd. is the world leader in the development and distribution of
medical devices employing Bioimpedance Spectroscopy (BIS) technologies to aid
medical providers in the non-invasive clinical assessment and ongoing
surveillance of lymphedema. ImpediMed’s primary product range consists of a
number of medical devices that aid surgeons, oncologists, therapists and
radiation oncologists to clinically assess patients for the potential onset of
secondary lymphedema. Pre-operative clinical assessment in breast cancer
survivors before the onset of symptoms may help prevent the condition from
becoming a lifelong management issue and improve the quality of life of the
cancer survivor. ImpediMed has the first medical device with an FDA clearance
in
secondary lymphedema of the arm in female breast cancer patients. For more
information, visit www.impedimed.com or www.L-Dex.com.
Contact Patient Advocate Foundation:
Beth Darnley, Chief Program Officer
(757) 952-1365 or (800) 532-5274
Contact ImpediMed:
Jack Butler, VP Business Development
(585) 248-2554 or (877) 247-0111
SOURCE ImpediMed Ltd.