Lymphedema, a common side effect of breast cancer treatment, affects more than 20% of all breast cancer survivors
More than 20% of all breast cancer survivors develop lymphedema as a side-effect of treatment. Lymphedema patients experience pain and debilitating swelling of the arm and hand caused by a build-up of fluid. Without screening, patients may develop chronic lymphedema, requiring life-long physio-therapist treatments and compression garments. In recent years scientific evidence for early detection has been increasing; results from studies using prospective surveillance methods for early detection show that this approach limits lymphedema diagnoses to under 5%.
Existing solutions to detect lymphedema include a bulky and expensive in-clinic device that is used in very few clinics, and using a tape measure to track swelling, which is not as accurate and may be confounded by numerous factors.
Cacta’s Solution
Cacta has developed a home-monitoring solution that enables early detection of lymphedema, one of the major side-effects of breast cancer treatment. MyLymphCare is a research-based wearable for early detection of lymphedema that empowers women to catch symptoms before they are visible, enabling early treatment that results in a dramatically lower risk of chronic lymphedema.
By incorporating bio-impedance spectroscopy into a user-friendly fabric arm-sling design, their product ensures correct and repeatable electrode placement. By identifying preclinical signs of lymphedema, Cacta enables timely intervention leading to better patient prognosis and reduced pain. The solution also decreases healthcare cost and increases patient wellbeing, given that it is portable and cheaper than competitors.
Cacta has been recognized as a leader in the field, including winning the Innobooster grant award.
How Femovate Helps
Cacta was awarded sponsorship through Guidea’s Femovate program for ‘23-’24.
As part of the Femovate sponsorship, the digital health experts at Guidea are working with the team to design an integrated digital experience for the MyLymphCare wearable.
For more information about Cacta, follow them on LinkedIn
For more information on Femovate visit www.femovate.com and follow us on LinkedIn
For interviews please contact Theresa Neil
