The central mission of the Penn TREC Survivor Center is to advance science on energetics and cancer survivorship, toward the goal of improving both the length and quality of cancer survivorship.
Andrea Cheville
Dr. Cheville is well prepared to contribute to the TREC initiative by virtue of her research and clinical background in lymphedema and functional problems in patients with cancer. With regard to lymphedema, Dr. Cheville has conducted lymphedema-related research, practiced clinical lymphedema management for over a decade, and directed the development of lymphedema-related Common Toxicity Criteria v 3.0. Dr. Cheville designed, executed, and analyzed the results of a study to estimate mean lymphedema-related health utilities in patients with cancer. As PI on a DOD-funded project, Dr. Cheville investigated strategies to reduce patients’ risk of developing lymphedema in the context of breast cancer treatment. In addition to Dr. Cheville’s lymphedema research background, her experience in clinical lymphedema management is extensive. Dr. Cheville developed and directed the Lymphedema Management and Cancer Rehabilitation Program at the University of Pennsylvania from 1999 to 2006. During this time the program expanded from a single physical therapist to 18 with specialty training in lymphedema management. Eighty percent of the over 1000 patients treated annually by the Lymphedema Management Program were followed longitudinally for chronic debility related to their lymphedema. From 2006 to the present Dr. Cheville has served as a consultant in the Lymphedema Clinic at the Rochester, MN Mayo Clinic campus, a high volume facility with 21 lymphedema therapists that serves 850 new patients annually. Dr. Cheville has authored 10 peer-reviewed articles, 9 chapters, and 1 book related to lymphedema. Her clinical work in cancer rehabilitation has focused on patients with head and neck, breast, and lung cancers, as well as multiple myeloma and melanoma. In summary, Dr. Cheville broad experience in lymphedema research, management, and toxicity characterization, as well as cancer rehabilitation.