Jane Armer is a Professor at the University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing, Director of Nursing Research at the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center, and Director of the American Lymphedema Framework Project. As Principal Investigator for three National-Institutes-of-Health-funded grants in breast cancer lymphedema measurement, occurrence, and impact, Dr. Armer has conducted extensive work in the area of lymphedema prevalence, signs and symptoms, anthropometric measurement, and self-management among breast cancer survivors; fatigue among persons with lymphedema; and self-management of chronic illness. A Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, she is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including in 2017 being a Sigma Theta Tau International Inductee into the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame. A prolific contributor to the professional literature on cancer and lymphedema, her PhD in gerontology nursing is from the University of Rochester.
In Part 1 of this two-part interview, she discusses: causes of lymphedema, how it affects males/females, whether patients are able to return to work, role medications may play in causing lymphedema, self-management skills needed, and educational opportunities for patients about self-management.