Co-production - working with patients and practitioners to prevent the onset of BCRL

The Moore Lab at the Department of Bioengineering, ICL has developed a medical device to prevent the onset of breast cancer-related lymphoedema (BCRL). BCRL is an under-represented women’s health condition that occurs in 20% of breast cancer patients and manifests as a swollen, heavy arm negatively impacting patients’ physical and mental health. The goal of the implant is to heal the damage done during treatment and hopefully prevent BCRL.
In order to design the medical device to impact patients, we worked with Imperial’s Cancer Research UK Lead Nurse, to form a committee of patients who would be able to help us. Hearing their stories enabled us to understand the importance of making the device low-cost and easy-to-use, thus accessible to everyone receiving treatment to prevent all cases. Thank you to these patients for sharing their stories.
Currently, we are fundraising to conduct preclinical studies to the device’s performance before we start clinical trials.
Our patients also participated in a video to raise awareness of lymphoedema. • Awareness - Breast can...