Publisher's Synopsis
Breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women. Treatment causes multiple effects and physical therapy prevents and treats possible complications after mastectomy. Virtual reality (VR) is a new tool that makes therapy playful, dynamic and motivating. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of rehabilitation with the use of VR in mastectomized patients. A systematic review was conducted using the following health descriptors: mastectomy, virtual reality and rehabilitation, in the databases: PubMed, Web of Science, LILACS and SciELO. It is concluded, then, that current VR in the rehabilitation of mastectomy patients improve range of motion, muscle strength and pain. Cancer occurs when changes called mutations take place in genes that regulate cell growth. The mutations let the cells divide and multiply in an uncontrolled way.
Breast cancer is still a leading cause of cancer death among females. However, the 5-year survival rate is high, and the rate of diagnosis has been largely declining for more than three decades. Having said that, the rates in the U.S. may no longer be declining in women aged 20-39 years.
