This course will address specific problems related to the different cancer sites (breast, prostate, lungs, head, neck, hematopathies). It will focus on the rehabilitation of advanced disease and more complex functional problems related to cancer treatment interventions. It will include protocols for managing common reconstructive surgeries, exercise progressions for patients with bone metastasis, lower limb lymphedema, and palliative care. In addition, select topics on differential diagnosis of cancer related musculoskeletal conditions, rehabilitation and vocational counseling for return to work, and setting up a rehabilitation oncology practice in both public and private clinical settings will be covered.
Objectives:
- Derive intervention strategies for more complex patient populations with significant rehabilitation needs. These populations will include:
- Head & neck cancer patients with reconstructive surgery
- Breast cancer patients with reconstructive surgery
- Young patients with osteosarcoma
- Patients in palliative care with advanced disease and multiple metastasis
- Educate and prescribe exercises for patients with more advanced cancers
- Manage risk, educate and prescribe exercises for cancer patients with bone metastasis and facial or lower limb lymphedema
- Recognize barriers to return to work and develop diverse rehabilitation programs to retain cancer patients in the workforce.
- Develop a cancer rehabilitation program in public or private clinical settings based upon successful models of care in the literature