BC wants to incorporate rehabilitation, exercise into care of patients as soon as they are diagnosed with cancer
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A Kelowna doctor says BC Cancer is considering adding exercise to its recovery program for cancer patients as soon as they are diagnosed, after research shows “pre-treatment” with exercise helps with long-term recovery.
Dr. Lauren Capozzi, BC Cancer’s first cancer physiatrist to the organizationAnd she’s leading an effort to incorporate exercise into the recovery program for cancer patients in Kelowna.
Capozzi said his first-in-B.C. program seeks to integrate various specialists — physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians and speech therapists — into one team that will work with patients as soon as they are diagnosed with cancer.
“It’s important to have that unified team because when we’re all on the same page, we can help customize the care plan for that patient,” he said.
“We can reduce health care dollars because we’re actually working together and adapting.”
Capozzi’s cancer physiatry program began in September. Patients can access it through referral from their primary care physician.
The program is part of an effort to expand cancer physiotherapy across the province, with them receiving 100 patient referrals over the past five months.
What is rehabilitation?
The doctor says prehabilitation involves getting cancer patients in shape and managing their pain before treatment and helping them recover afterward.
Capozzi said it’s a common misconception that cancer rehabilitation begins as soon as a patient finishes treatment.
However, starting an exercise program even before the diagnosis is made can help patients recover more quickly and get back to what they used to enjoy.
“Last year, an unprecedented study “It was published showing that exercise actually helps improve survival in patients with colon cancer,” she said.
“So now that it’s (a) really important part of BC Cancer, we’re starting to work on integrating exercise programs within our cancer care program.”
A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that including exercise as part of colon cancer recovery may help reduce the risk of cancer recurrence and lead to longer survival.
The study referenced by Capozzi, which was published in New England Journal of Medicine last junefound that for colon cancer patients, regular structured exercise made a difference.
Seven years after diagnosis, 90 percent of patients who participated in a structured exercise program over a three-year period were still alive.
Capozzi hopes BC can be a leader in integrating exercise into cancer care programs, and his team is working to expand the program beyond Kelowna.
