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Pre- and re-habilitation after wide margin resection affecting trapezious and levator scapulae

AAF
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Hello,

I was very recently diagnosed with a rare type of soft tissue sarcoma with good prognosis and whose treatment will most likely consist only of surgery.

I have been advised my levator scapulae and trapezious muscles will need to be removed (unclear if the later in its totality) together with the lesion, so I was wondering a couple of things.

Would it be worth looking into prehabilitation exercises before the surgery, to strenghten my upper back area? If so any advice or resources providing more information will be greatly appretatied.
Additionally, after such muscles are removed, what can be the expected degree and timeline of functional recovery of the affected area? I understand some sequelae will remain, but can I get an idea on how tasks such as riding a bicycle or carrying a backpack will be affected?

Thank you very much for your help,

Ana

  • Hi Ana

    My name is Joanne and I am one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists on the Macmillan Support Line.

    Thank you for posting on our online community – I hope you will find it to be a useful source of information and support whilst you are undergoing treatment for soft tissue sarcoma.

    You may also want to consider joining our Soft tissue sarcoma forum where you can read about and share experiences with others.

    As we are separate from the NHS and don’t have access to individual health records, we would always advise you to speak to your surgical team for advice and information about your individual circumstances, particularly in relation to the specific impact of exercises prior to surgery and how your surgery is likely to impact on you afterwards.

    The goal of surgery for soft tissue sarcoma is to remove the whole of the tumour with a margin of healthy tissue, whilst preserving good function in the part of the body where the tumour has developed.

    Preparing for surgery including prehabilitation is an important part of the process and you can ask to speak to a physiotherapist who works as part of the Multi disciplinary team .

    As the levator scapulae and trapezius muscles both play a significant role in posture and movement, it’s important that any changes to your exercise routine now is discussed with the team who will take into account the exact location of your tumour and how this may impact your recovery.

    Physiotherapists play an important role in planning for your surgery  as well as rehabilitation after surgery and will be best placed to advise you on how you should prepare for your operation in terms of exercise and strengthening.

    You may also wish to consider seeking advice from a private physiotherapist and you can find details of chartered physiotherapists here.

    Sarcoma UK is another source of information and advice which you may find useful. You can also access their Support Line and browse their publications including this one on Rehabilitation and life after treatment.

    You may also want to look for Cancer support services near you such as specialist sarcoma support groups or more general cancer support services.

    These support services will vary across the country but may also be accessible virtually and include services such as the treatment support programme from Penny Brohn which focuses on nutrition, activity and wellbeing throughout the cancer treatment journey.

    I hope that this information is useful Please do let us know if there is anything else we can support you with.

    Ref JH/DS

    Joanne H - Cancer Information Nurse Specialist

    Remember you can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 00 00 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or by email.

      

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