Cancer Rehab for Young Adults and Adolescents • OT Potential

If you’re seeking a cancer rehab therapist (especially an occupational therapy professional), we want you to be as informed as possible so we can truly partner to create the best course of treatment for YOU.

In occupational therapy, we tend to work from “menus” of evidence-based assessments and treatments. This gives us the flexibility to meet the specific needs of each patient. Below, you’ll see the assessment and treatment options your therapist may use, along with the evidence that supports them.

Members of the OT Potential Club can login for detailed clinical decision support on this diagnosis, including a comprehensive assessment search, goal bank, treatment info, handouts, a community forum and more.

Please note that this page is for educational purposes and should not substitute advice from your medical provider. At the bottom of this page, you’ll find therapists near you who can support you in your cancer rehab.

A quick note on why to pursue cancer rehab

Cancer rehabilitation—including occupational therapy—can help improve your quality of life as you undergo cancer treatment. Cancer rehabilitation professionals can support everything from cancer prevention and health promotion following diagnosis to management of independence during and after cancer treatment. For example, cancer rehabilitation professionals are skilled in addressing many of the 10 recommendations for cancer prevention from the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Cancer rehab professionals can help with areas such as: quality of life, activities of daily living, fatigue, functional mobility, exercise, cognition, communication, sexual function, caregiving, and return to work. In addition to improving your overall quality of life, cancer rehabilitation services aim to:

decrease your risk of needing more intensive services, and
help you overcome severe side effects later in the cancer journey.

To date, outpatient oncology rehabilitation services have been linked to significantly lower costs associated with emergency department visits, home health services, skilled nursing facility stays, and hospice care.

Therapist-recommended assessments for cancer rehab for young adults and adolescents

As you can see below, a cancer rehab evaluation can focus on multiple areas.

In addition to informing treatment at the beginning of your therapy journey, assessments provide a point of comparison to track your progress and response to treatment over time. (Without an accurate and thorough baseline, it can be hard to tell how much the interventions are helping!) As such, your therapist may perform certain assessments at various intervals over the course of therapy.

Occupation-Based & Role Resumption

Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM)
Occupational Self-Assessment (OSA)
Occupational Performance History Interview-II (OPHI-II)
OCAIRS

Cognitive Functioning

Weekly Calendar Planning Activity (WCPA)
Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)
FACT-Cog
CONTROLLED ORAL WORD ASSOCIATION TEST (COWAT)
PROMIS Cognitive Function

Emotional/Psychosocial

Distress Thermometer
PHQ-9 (Depression)
HADS (Anxiety and Depression)
GAD-7 (Anxiety)
Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL)

Sexuality/Body Image

Sexuality SVQ
Pavlovich Sexuality Questionnaire
Body Image Scale (BIS)

Symptoms

Brief Fatigue Inventory
FACIT-F
PROMIS Fatigue (Short Form)
Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire
PROMIS Sleep Disturbance
DASH

ADLs/IADLs

AMPAC
KELS
Casey Life Skills Toolkit
Katz
Lawton IADL

Quality of Life

FACT-B
SF-36
WHOQOL

Return to Work/School/Role Resumption

Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS)
The Assessment of Work Performance (AWP)
PROMIS Social Roles & Activities
Role Checklist
Interest Checklist

Setting goals for cancer rehab

Therapy only works best when there is buy-in from the patient. It is important that you work with your therapist to set treatment goals that truly reflect what’s important to you.

Therapy treatment interventions for cancer rehab

After a thorough evaluation and goal-setting process, it is time to start making progress. Below are treatment interventions that can be implemented as part of a holistic therapy program.

General

Lymphedema and conservative edema reduction techniques

Physical

Conditioning programs
Range of motion programs
Home exercise/activity programs
Balance and vestibular training
Early mobility
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy
Mind-body practices, such as Yoga
Facilitating age and developmentally appropriate milestones
Interventions for scleroderma
Peri/Menopause symptoms
- Hot flashes, joint pain,
- osteopenia/osteoporosis; bone health interventions

Emotional Distress Management

Psycho-education
Pediatric to adult transitions
Return to work/school programs
Mindfulness-based interventions
Coping skills training
Social skills training and/or self-advocacy strategies
Sexuality, body image, and fertility
Relaxation training
Life review/narrative
Social connections
Symptom tracking
Creative arts
Meditation/yoga
Dignity therapy
Behavioral Activation
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Sexuality & Fertility

Education on the impact of treatment on gonadal function, fertility, and sexual functioning
Sexual positions for symptom management
Fertility preservation
Education on peri-menopause and treatment-induced menopause
Cosmetic strategies for altered appearance
Ostomy care/management for sexual activity
Communication techniques to discuss sexual concerns with a partner
Education on potential precautions with sexual activity (e.g., use of physical protection after chemotherapy)

Social Connections, Relationships, & Caregiver

AYA peer connections/mentorship; refer to in-person or virtual organizations
Dating after a cancer diagnosis
Social skills training
Caregiver/Parent/Spousal support
Spirituality
Support for existential distress

Lifestyle Medicine

SMART goal setting
Sleep

Sleep hygiene
Routine building
CBT-Insomnia

Diet/Nutrition

Weight management
Education on medications that can cause weight fluctuations (e.g., steroids).

Exercise (see above)
Psychosocial (see above)

Cancer-Related Fatigue

Activity planning
Pacing activity
Prioritizing activities and appointments
Planning a schedule (daily, weekly, monthly)
Positioning
Mindfulness-based interventions/relaxation training
Mind-body practices: Yoga, QiGong

Pain Management

Symptom tracking to identify patterns, triggers, and alleviators
Medication management
Phantom limb pain

Cognition

Education on potential cognitive changes
Cognitive rehabilitation
Learning strategies for school
Remedial and compensatory cognitive strategies
Environmental adaptations to promote learning and improve attention/retention
Work and school accommodations
Career coaching and exploration to match cognitive skills
Sensory interventions

Additional

Health management
Coping and managing late effects and chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes)
Addressing financial strain
Long-term survivorship
Metastatic cancer survivorship (emerging field)
ICU delirium

Educational and supportive resources for young adults with cancer

Fertility Resources:

Choosing a therapist for cancer rehab

When searching for an occupational therapy professional to provide treatment for cancer, you may want to look for someone with multiple focus areas relevant to your condition (e.g., “lymphedema,” “cancer rehab,” or “insomnia.” )

Below, you can find OT professionals who have tagged cancer rehab as a focus area.

Show as:List Map

Conclusion

Hopefully, this article has helped you understand what therapy for cancer rehab entails, and whether you are a good candidate!

This article is updated regularly based on new research. If you have any research you would like us to consider for our next update, please drop it in the comments! Therapists who would like more fleshed-out information on cancer rehab treatment can join us as members of the OT Potential Club.

References

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OT Potential does not endorse any treatments, procedures, products, or therapists referenced herein. This information is provided as an educational service and is not intended to serve as medical advice. Anyone seeking medical advice should consult their medical provider.