Prescribing Exercise for the Cancer Population

Introduction to Cancer and Effects 

• Understand the incidence and prevalence 
• Common side effects of cancer and cancer treatment 

Cancer Rehabilitation and Exercise 

• Define Cancer Rehabilitation 
• Common impairments addressed in cancer rehab 
• Unmet needs with patient reported impairments and side effects 
• The Cancer Care Continuum – Where exercise plays a role 

The Role of Exercise -Before Treatment (Prehab) 

Define prehab 

• Goals of exercise to address pre-existing impairments, improve physical health, and establish baseline 
• The outcomes of supervised exercise in various cancer types (Garcia, 2016)(Singh, 2013)(van Rooijen, 2019) 
• High-intensity interval training and affects of VO2peak in prehab setting (Palma, 2021) 
• Exercise’s role in reducing surgical complications and recovery (Parker, 2019) 
• Address the limitations of research and potential risks 

The Role of Exercise -During Cancer Treatment 

• Goals of exercise to address impairments, side effects and symptoms related to treatment 
• Exercise impacting side effects during cancer treatment (Stout, 2017) 
• Exercise benefits and risks during chemotherapy (Mijwel, 2018) 
• Current exercise recommandations and prescriptions (Stout, 2017) 
• Comparing outcomes of low-intensity vs mod/high-intensity exercise vs no exercise (van Waart, 2015) 
• Acknowledge potential risks and contraindications of exercise during treatment 

The Role of Exercise - After Cancer Treatment 

• The goals of exercise after cancer treatment is completed 
• Physical activity’s impact of non-physical outcomes (Fuller, 2018) 
• Exercise role on risk of cancer mortality (Li, 2016) 
• Limitations of the research and potential risks in the survivorship phase 

The Role of Exercise – Long-Term Survivorship 

• Discuss long-term clinical applications of exercise for cancer survivors 
• Cardiovascular disease risk and exercise role (Henry, 2018) 
• The role of exercise in androgen deprivation therapy (Newton, 2020) 
• Pediatric cancer survivorship and exercise role in chronic diseases (Brunet, 2018) 
• Cancer recurrence – does exercise lower the risk? (Morishita, 2020) 

The Role of Exercise – Hospice/End of Life 

• Recognize the benefits of exercise in end-of-life care settings (Chen, 2020) 
• Adapting exercise to the needs of terminally ill cancer patients (Dittus, 2017) 
• Understand the limitations and potential risks in palliative exercise programs 

Interdisciplinary Collaboration 

• Explore how healthcare professionals can work together to promote exercise in cancer care 
• Discuss strategies for overcoming barriers to interdisciplinary collaboration 

Course Conclusion and Future Directions 

• Summarize key takeaways from the course 
• Reflect on the evolving landscape of exercise in cancer care 
• Encourage continued learning and research in the field 

Note: Throughout the course, we will emphasize the limitations of existing research and the potential risks associated with exercise interventions, ensuring a comprehensive and responsible approach to exercise across the cancer continuum