The primary goals of oncology rehabilitation for people with cancer are to:
- Improve functional status
- Improve health-related quality of life
- Reduce cancer related fatigue
The goals may differ depending on what part of the cancer continuum the person is in:
- Prehabilitation
- Preparing for treatment
- Maximise fitness and function to prevent complications of a major procedure e.g. surgery, stem cell transplant
- Rehabilitation during treatment
- Mitigate side effects of cancer treatment
- Maintain or improve function
- Post Treatment/Survivorship
- Improve function
- Reducing risk of recurrence
- Palliative Care
- Symptom management
- Emotional Support
- Maintaining function
Other potential benefits include:
- Reduced anxiety
- Reduced depression
- Reduced risk of lymphoedema
- Improved sleep
- Improved bone health
- Reduction in other cancer related symptoms such as dyspnoea and pain that may be specific to the cancer type
