Should I continue having my lymphedema treated in the advanced stages of cancer?
Ultimately this is a question best left to the patient. In late stage cancer, quality of life becomes central to the medical decision making process. Encouragement is given to the patient to continue along the path that is best suited for them with the understanding that they will have the full support of their medical team regardless of their decision to continue or suspend treatment. Reassurance is needed to reinforce that therapeutic intervention, while indicated and known to be helpful in promoting quality of life, will be carried out at the discretion of the patient. Lymphedema treatment can often be rendered at a frequency and duration that is amenable to the wishes of the patient and the family. The therapist should go out of their way to emphasize this point. It is also the responsibility of the therapist to be aware of and convey to the patient the many benefits of continued therapy at any level. As cancer advances into the late stages, an already edematous extremity may becom
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