Invasive breast cancer is the second most common
neoplasm in the female population of Brazil, with
41,610 new cases diagnosed and 9335 deaths in 20031.
The vast majority of patients undergo a surgical intervention
of the axilla as a staging procedure, and this can
lead to postoperative shoulder dysfunction.
Considering a median life expectancy of 17.5 years
after the diagnosis of breast cancer and considering that
the gold-standard method for staging the axilla is axillary
dissection, it is essential to improve rehabilitation
techniques in order to give patients an adequate mental
and physical quality of life2.
There are no guidelines for the exercises performed
in physical rehabilitation after breast cancer surgery
and, specifically, for how to minimize postoperative
complications such as shoulder dysfunction, volume of
secretion drained, incidence of seroma, wound dehiscence
and, in the long term, the development of chronic
lymphedema.