Forming Collaborations With the Physical Therapy Team in Cancer Treatment

CancerNetwork® visited Mary’s Place by the Sea, a cancer treatment center in Neptune Township, New Jersey, to speak with Alison Ankiewicz, DPT, PT, to learn more about how oncology clinicians can best collaborate with pelvic floor physical therapists to elevate the quality of care for patients undergoing treatment for cancer. Specifically, Ankiewicz highlighted the indicators or symptoms that medical oncologists should search for that may indicate a need for specialized care.

According to Ankiewicz, co-owner of Inner Dynamics Physical Therapy: Pelvic Health and Wellness Center and a board member of Mary’s Place by the Sea, many medical and radiation oncologists may not recognize the services of physical therapists. She emphasized how pelvic health physical therapists should be included in the multidisciplinary team, describing the assistance they can provide before, during, and after a patient’s care.

Ankiewicz indicated the role that physical therapists can play to mitigate tissue changes stemming from medication, hormonal changes following therapy, and other effects from surgery. Regarding abdominal surgeries, specifically, she noted that her work can help improve the mobility and motility of tissue following treatment, thereby restoring the function of muscles within the pelvic region.

Transcript:

Unfortunately, I feel a lot of oncologists and radiation oncologists are not aware of our services, so I feel like it is important for them to take note that pelvic health physical therapy should be part of that multidisciplinary team. [They should be] getting their patients to us prior to treatments and then even during treatments and posttreatments. Again, whether it is related to tissue changes from the medication, hormonal changes, or surgery, we should be part of the team. When we have abdominal surgeries or perhaps hysterectomies, we often work with scar tissue and improving the mobility and motility of our tissue, which will restore the function of our muscles within the pelvic region. Getting started sooner [rather] than later is important for these physicians to realize.