Skip to main content

Listen to 'Defining Moment'

A week before final exams during the second year of our doctor of physical therapy (DPT) program this spring, we slipped out of a lecture on vestibular disorders 15 minutes early and nervously walked over to the cancer center at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC). We were about to host our first complimentary exercise class for patients with breast cancer.

We had talked about offering the class for nearly 2 years, since our first semester in school. Working together during class breaks and late at night, we had written numerous proposals and emails, sought out meetings with physicians and researchers at several medical centers, researched exercise in patients with cancer, and spent hours posting flyers about the class and rehearsing exercise routines.

Developing an exercise program for people with cancer seemed like a no-brainer from a need standpoint: Numerous studies show the benefits of cardiovascular training for this population—both to counter the effects of cardiotoxic chemotherapy agents and to potentially reduce cancer recurrence and improve survivorship. Similarly, data show that yoga can decrease anxiety and possibly reduce neuropathy. Many patients with cancer want to participate in exercise classes with other patients because the group dynamic allows them to feel less self-conscious and offers an organic support network.

Log in or create a free account to keep reading.


Join APTA to get unlimited access to content.


You Might Also Like...

News

Seminal APTA Guide to PT Practice Gets an Update

Apr 12, 2023

The physical therapy profession has evolved, and so has its foundational resource.

Review

From PTJ: Attention to Exercise Attitudes May Help Cancer Survivors With CRF

Mar 31, 2023

Authors believe that accounting for patient self-efficacy could make a difference in exercise among patients with cancer-related fatigue.

Review

Study: Sitting Time Ups Mortality Risk Among Cancer Survivors With Low or No PA

Feb 7, 2022

Sitting times of six or more hours per day increased mortality risk among the inactive — but not for survivors who met PA guidelines.