Grant recipient: Udari Colombage

Project title: Pelvic floor muscle function in women with or without breast cancer: a matched control study

Year awarded: 2019

Grant: Seeding Grant

Grant amount: $10,000

Snapshot: Dr Udari Colombage’s research focuses on incontinence in women with breast cancer. Driven by the need to expand a limited evidence base, this study aimed to determine whether women with breast cancer experience impaired pelvic floor muscle function. 

The findings: The study found that women with breast cancer had weaker pelvic floor muscles and poorer pelvic floor relaxation ability compared to women without breast cancer. Read the study

Benefits to the profession: Further studies from this research team have since shown that pelvic floor muscle training can be beneficial in treating urinary incontinence in women with breast cancer.

Read about the findings of Bernie’s study in InMotion and view the PRF-funded research translation.