Abstract
The study aims to determine the prevalence of breast cancer and the proportion of physiotherapy prescriptions for the management of breast cancer-related lymphedema at the Nganda Hospital Center. A quantitative study using a documentary research method based on patient records was conducted across several hospital departments: statistics, epidemiology, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and physiotherapy. This study investigated cancer cases at the hospital center over a period spanning 2018 to 2025. We examined the information contained in the records to determine the total number of cancer cases of all types and specifically identified the proportion of breast cancer cases to establish its prevalence. Subsequently, we analyzed each breast cancer record to identify the prescribed treatments and the main complications experienced by patients during the course of the disease. Finally, particular attention was paid to the role of physiotherapy in the management of lymphedema. Our findings indicate that 452 cancer cases were treated at the hospital between 2018 and 2025. Of these, 91 cases (20%) were breast cancer. Regarding management, the majority of breast cancer patients underwent a mastectomy, which resulted in lymphedema as a major complication. Despite the significant prevalence of lymphedema, only a very small fraction of patients 4 individuals, or 4.4% received a prescription for physiotherapy. Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers encountered in oncological practice at the Nganda Hospital Center in Kintambo, Kinshasa. Treatment focuses on mastectomy, which leads to several complications, with the most significant being lymphedema. However, there is a lack of rehabilitation for this condition, which seriously compromises patient survival following surgery.
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