Towards an understanding of the role of soft tissue structural and mechanical properties in upper limb function after breast cancer treatment: the SOFT-TI-TRIAL

Impaired upper limb function, i.e. experiencing difficulties in performing activities of daily living with the upper limb, is with a prevalence rate of 50% at one year after surgery, very common following breast cancer treatment. Upper limb dysfunctions after breast cancer treatment are complex and multifactorial with a variety of possible contributing factors. Both in research and clinical practice, there is no doubt about the change in soft tissue properties due to breast cancer treatments, in particular surgery and radiotherapy. Problems with soft tissues include structural changes (including tissue composition and tissue volume) and altered mechanical properties (including tissue stiffness and impaired gliding of tissues relatively to each other). The challenge is to properly assess structural and mechanical properties of soft tissues to get a true understanding of their contribution to upper limb dysfunctions. Up to now, (subjective) methods with limited validity, in particular for deeper structures, were used. Soft tissue properties can be evaluated objectively in vivo by means of ultrasonography (US) and a wide range of add-ons, such as 3D freehand US volume measurement, speckle tracking and shear-wave elastography. The specific benefits of US (with its add-on techniques) allow a comprehensive objective assessment of both structural and mechanical properties of soft tissues at once. This will enable gaining knowledge on their role in upper limb function after breast cancer treatment, and as such moving the field of understanding soft tissue problems after breast cancer forward, as well as opening new avenues to better screening, prevention and treatment approaches of upper limb dysfunctions. Therefore, the aim of this project is to develop and test the reliability of a comprehensive assessment protocol for the quantification (i.e. severity) of soft tissue properties with different US techniques. With the developed protocol, in the future, we will be able to determine the role of these different soft tissue properties as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for upper limb dysfunctions during and after breast cancer treatment.

Keywords:REHABILITATION, ULTRASOUND, SHOULDER, CANCER

Disciplines:Human movement and sports sciences not elsewhere classified, Rehabilitation, Oncology not elsewhere classified

Project type:Collaboration project