June is International Cancer Rehabilitation Month, a global initiative to raise awareness, foster understanding, and improve access to cancer rehabilitation services for survivors and clinicians. By joining this movement, you can help empower cancer survivors to live their best lives, to help increase the evidence for care, and to spread the word for exceptional care.

Another impactful message for Cancer Rehabilitation Month or a different highlight.

Join us this June for International Cancer Rehabilitation Month and be part of a global movement for hope and healing.

Together, we can make a difference in the lives of millions of cancer survivors worldwide. Let’s work toward ensuring that every survivor has access to the care they need to live their best life.

GET INVOLVE

Why Cancer
Rehabilitation Matters

There are millions of people globally whose lives have been severely impacted by cancer. Cancer rehabilitation can help cancer survivors live their best lives by identifying and treating issues that interfere with their everyday functioning. Cancer Rehabilitation Month is about educating and empowering clinicians from all disciplines to better serve the cancer survivor community.

The Need for Action

Much like early detection in cancer saves lives, timely access to cancer rehabilitation services can transform lives. International Cancer Rehabilitation Awareness Month focuses on three key goals: Awareness: Highlighting the importance of cancer rehabilitation and its impact on survivors' lives. Understanding: Educating survivors, families, and clinicians about the benefits of rehabilitation services. Access: Advocating for equitable access to high-quality rehabilitation care worldwide.

How You Can Make an Impact This June

International Cancer Rehabilitation Awareness Month is an opportunity for
everyone—survivors, families, friends, clinicians—to take action.

Participation can be as simple or involved as you like! Every effort counts
toward raising awareness and improving access to life-changing services.

Examples

• Wear a ribbon: Show your support and share its significance with others.

• Create and distribute flyers and handouts that help cancer survivors and clinicians understand issues such as fatigue, pain, cognitive issues, lymphedema and other limitations.

• Market your cancer rehabilitation services to survivors who might need them.

• Tell your doctor you may benefit from cancer rehabilitation

• Give a presentation – or series of presentations – to your colleagues and/or patients discussing the issues cancer survivors face and how you can help them.

• Organize an event: Host a Cancer Rehabilitation Awareness Month Fair featuring activities such as:

• Single leg stance
• Hand grip strength
• Timed up and Go
• Functional reach
• 2-minute step test
• 3 oz water test
• Mouth opening
• EAT-10 swallowing screening tool
• Administer The PROMIS (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System) questionnaire

By participating in these activities, you can help
raise awareness about the transformative
power of cancer rehabilitation.
Join Us This June!

Get Involved

What is Cancer Rehabilitation?

Cancer Rehabilitation is a process that restores function and quality of life to cancer survivors. Rehabilitation is often needed before and during cancer treatment and may be helpful years after cancer treatment has been completed. Patients with active or terminal cancer can also benefit from cancer rehabilitation.

Who Can Benefit from Cancer
Rehabilitation?

Cancer rehabilitation is designed to address a wide range of
conditions that affect survivors’ everyday lives:

Fatigue
Pain
Lymphedema (swelling)
Decreased endurance
Poor balance
Decreased range of motion
Weakness

Difficulty walking
Neuropathy (numbness in feet or hands)
Difficulty swallowing and communicating
Bowel and bladder dysfunction
Limb loss
Spasticity
Memory problems

Who provides Cancer Rehabilitation?

Because the needs of cancer survivors are complex, there are many types of clinicians that
provide services depending on the unique needs of an individual patient.

Cancer Rehabilitation Physician

▪ Diagnose the specific cause of a given issue or issues.
▪ Order and interpret laboratory, imaging, and other tests
▪ Prescribe medications to manage pain and other functional issues
▪ Perform injections Order and monitor therapy Refer to other clinicians as needed