gms | German Medical Science

Objective: Cancer has a very high clinical and socioeconomic relevance! Just at this moment, 300.000 Austrian people are suffering from cancer, and every year 15000-17000 inhabitants become new-diagnosed cancer patients. Due to fear of diagnosis, treatment, and of prognosis, cancer has an enormous impact not only on cancer patients, but also on their partners, family members, friends, and on treating medical staff.

Medical treatment of cancer is multimodal and so is rehabilitation. For rehabilitation purposes biofeedback is a method with the goal to enhance self-competence. This presentation aims to highlight the indications for the use of biofeedback in cancer patients.

Material/Methods: A survey about the clinical use of biofeedback in cancer patients is given. Interesting clinical cases are presented.

Results: In cancer patients, stress management, anxiety and depression are typical indications for the use of biofeedback (Case 1: Hyperventilation). Musculoskeletal pain syndromes, such as cervical syndrome, back pain and sciatica, are especially in cases of cancer entities which typically affect the skeleton very interesting indications regarding biofeedback-assisted exercise and –physiotherapy. Such a “Myo-feedback” by using surface EMG feedback helps the patient to find an insight into his body, and to gain self-competence when performing exercises (Case 2: Multiple Myeloma). Furthermore, biofeedback can be used as an additive tool for breathing exercises before and after thoracic surgery (Case 3: Lung cancer).

Besides their cancer, some patients are suffering from headache (migraine, tension type headache), where biofeedback can reduce pain and – due an enhancement of self-competence – help to reduce (necessary) medication (and side effects).

Female incontinence and male incontinence (after prostate cancer) are often seen in cancer patients. Incontinence is a very isolating symptom which decreases social participation. For incontinence, the use of biofeedback shows best scientific evidence available.

In dying patients suffering from terminal cancer, who are not able to communicate due somnolence, heart rate variability can help to find the right dosage of pain medication. In cases of very severe pain (so called break through pain), which is an enormous stress for these patients, heart rate variability decreases – and physicians are able optimize pain medication.

The modern and so called burnout syndrome is a very well known form of depression often affecting nursing partners and relatives, but also medical staff. In these cases, biofeedback can be an effective part of a multimodal treatment regimen.

Conclusion: In cancer patients, there are some interesting indications for the use of biofeedback, where it can help to improve functional health, activities and participation of patients. Nevertheless, also in cancer patients biofeedback should be seen as an effective but additive tool and performed only after prescription of a physician.