Oncology Rehabilitation

A cancer diagnosis can be traumatic, and so can life-saving treatments. Chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery can harm health and cause serious medical problems that interfere with daily function and well-being. Survivors are commonly plagued with symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, insomnia, memory loss, fear, anxiety and depression. The Center for Cancer Care Oncology Rehabilitation Services offer important physical and psychological rehabilitation to survivors so they can recover more quickly and more completely than they would otherwise. Feeling well and being able to resume normal day-to-day activities is essential to enjoying a good quality of life for survivors and their families.

We serve all survivors in need, whether they are beginning treatment, finished with treatment, or experiencing late effects or unresolved issues from long-ago treatment. Our program is open to everyone no matter the prognosis, cancer stage or phase of recovery. Newly diagnosed patients may want to increase their strength and endurance and prevent future medical problems; survivors living with cancer as a chronic disease may come to us for help managing treatment-related conditions; and individuals who are cured or in remission may enroll in our program with the goal of boosting their immune systems so that they can heal as well as possible.

Our rehabilitation care, based on conventional medicine, is offered to patients by a knowledgeable and sensitive medical staff, specially trained to treat survivors of all forms of cancer. They are medical experts at the top of their fields and comprise a variety of disciplines:

• physicians
• nurses
• physical therapists
• occupational therapists
• speech and swallowing therapists
• registered dietitians and nutritionists
• pastoral care
• radiation therapists
• social services
• patient care navigation
• integrative medicine
• exercise physiologists

Rather than using a “problem-oriented” approach and tackle each health issue as it arises, we address the full spectrum of post-cancer care. When evaluating a patient, in addition to focusing on his or her health conditions and symptoms, we take into consideration: diet, sleep issues, existing pain, endurance, strength, exercise habits and emotional outlook. All of these factors have an important effect on physical healing.

After undergoing a thorough evaluation by a physician, a “team” of medical specialists is assigned to each patient according to his or her individual needs. The healthcare “team” creates a personalized rehabilitation plan, with the goals of increasing strength and energy, alleviating pain, improving physical functioning, achieving emotional balance and boosting the immune system. Each team member provides his or her expert medical guidance, training, encouragement and support, for the duration of the program.