Australian mother Renee Brown was just 39 years old when she underwent surgery to remove cancerous lymph nodes from her pelvis.
She then underwent chemotherapy and radiation therapy as part of her fight against cervical cancer.
After treatment, she faced a new challenge: urinary incontinence.
“It was often more than dribbling, and it lasted all day,” said Brown, who is from Victoria. told Jam Press.
“I often woke up and couldn't even go to the bathroom,” she recalled. “He was incredibly weak.”
Now, Brown has her life back thanks to a thin device called Femfit that she wears to strengthen her pelvic floor.
The American Cancer Society predicted that Nearly 14,000 new cases of invasive cervical cancer are expected to be diagnosed in 2023, and 4,300 women will die from the disease.
The HPV vaccine and Pap test have helped reduce mortality from cervical cancer by identifying changes in the cervix before cancer develops or progresses.
Meanwhile, Brown was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2019.
To alleviate the resulting incontinence, she tried a patch designed to treat overactive bladder and an electromagnetic pad chair to strengthen her pelvic floor muscles.
A healthy pelvic floor helps prevent bladder leakage.
Brown, a mother of one, decided the chair was not practical in the long term because her bones had become brittle due to osteopenia caused by radiation therapy.
By chance, she came across a bulletin about Counterpart, a women-led cancer counseling organization recruiting participants for a study at the University of Melbourne.
The research team encouraged Brown to try FemFit, which at the time was only available in Australia and New Zealand.
“The difference is like night and day,” Brown said excitedly. “When I tried using FemFit, I noticed more than just that change.” [device and] Although it is an app, the changes are actually occurring physically. Eventually I regained control and was able to go to the bathroom in the morning. ”
Femfit is inserted vaginally during a pelvic floor muscle exercise session (usually for just 10 minutes).
Eight pressure sensors on the device determine whether you are performing the exercise correctly.
Feedback will be sent to the Femfit app on users' smartphones, and women will also be given access to remote telemedicine sessions with research physiotherapists.
Junofem, the creator of Femfit, pointed out that without guidance, many women struggle to learn the proper technique for pelvic floor muscle exercises.
“I didn't realize that I was good at contracting my pelvic floor until I started using this device,” Brown explained.
“But I've always had a hard time relaxing between squeezes, so that exercise really put that to use for me,” she added.
Femfit is also available for purchase in stores. Approximately $265 — For home and medical clinic use — Can be used while lying, sitting or standing.
“Urinary incontinence is common as a result of treatment for gynecological cancers,” said Junofem's Jenny Krueger. She said: “It's really important to provide tools and methods to help women regain control over parts of their lives that have been so affected.”
A 12-week “strength builder” program is said to resolve up to 80% of urinary incontinence symptoms.
Users report a dramatic improvement in incontinence problems after childbirth and during menopause.
Obstetrician and gynecologist Jackie Smalldridge said: “Urinary incontinence is a common symptom that typically occurs in one in three women. One of our goals is to educate women that effective pelvic floor muscle exercises can make a big difference. That’s the thing.”
