Thanks to advances in treatment, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer is now 93.8 percent. The development of treatment techniques in each field, such as surgery, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and radiation therapy, has reduced the side effects of treatment.

However, patients cannot be completely free from physical symptoms, including fatigue, lymphedema, and numbness.

This is where cancer rehabilitation comes in.

"Cancer rehabilitation is necessary to diagnose and treat physical symptoms, such as numbness, pain, and decreased sensation, due to cancer itself or during cancer treatment," said Dr. Bok Sang-kyung, professor of rehabilitation at Chungnam National University Hospital, on the YouTube channel "Chungnam National University Hospital."

Cancer rehabilitation is especially necessary to provide support and relief so that cancer treatment can go well and to restore the functions lost due to cancer as much as possible so that cancer patients can return to society and home, Professor Bok added.

There are many reasons why breast cancer patients may need cancer rehabilitation.

"The first time a breast cancer patient needs rehabilitation is when they have lymphedema," Dr. Bok said, explaining that cancer rehabilitation is needed for shoulder joint pain and movement restrictions, nerve pain in the surgical site and upper extremities, and general fatigue and muscle weakness.

In particular, the more lymph nodes around the cancer are removed during breast cancer surgery, the higher the risk of lymphedema, a swelling of the entire arm on the same side as the breast cancer. In this case, lymphedema can be treated through cancer rehabilitation therapy, the professor explained.

"If lymphedema occurs after breast cancer surgery, intensive rehabilitation for two to six weeks is recommended. After intensive rehabilitation, we manage the edema by avoiding situations that can cause lymphedema," Bok said. "After intensive rehabilitation, we manage the edema by avoiding situations that can cause lymphedema."

In addition to lymphedema, rehabilitation is necessary for shoulder pain and joint reconstruction after breast cancer surgery.

"Medication, physical therapy with heat and electrotherapy, and exercise therapy (stretching and muscle strengthening exercises around the shoulder joint) are performed," Professor Bok said. "If there is no improvement in symptoms, intra-articular steroid or hyaluronic acid injections are used."

Cancer rehabilitation often requires careful attention, depending on the patient's physical condition.

"Patients with severe anemia or low white blood cells and platelets, which increase the risk of infection and bleeding, should be cautious about cancer rehabilitation," Dr. Bok said. "Patients with multiple bone metastases, increased cerebral pressure, electrolyte imbalance, orthostatic hypotension, heart rate over 110 beats per minute, or fever over 38 degrees should be placed on bed rest rather than rehabilitation."