SPECIAL ISSUE: THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL CANCER ACT OF 1971 - EDITORIAL - REIMAGINING THE VALUE OF REHABILITATION IN COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CARE

Abstract

Cancer rehabilitation is the process of restoring function and quality of life to cancer survivors. Despite the virtues of our discipline, cancer rehabilitation services have been poorly adopted by the oncology community and survivors. While more than half of all adult cancer survivors and approximately two-thirds of breast cancer survivors report at least 1 long-term cancer-related issue, only about 1% to 2% receive treatment for those disorders. Elevating the eld of cancer rehabilitation to meet the needs of cancer survivors will bene t from a reevaluation of how we de ne and demonstrate our value. Value-based quality measures such as emergency department visits, hospitalizations, pain management, opioid use, compliance with oncologic therapy, total cost of care and oncology clinician burden of care are potential areas where cancer rehabilitation can have a positive impact. Aligning our values with those of key stakeholders including oncology clinicians and practices, health systems, payers and governmental agencies as well as patients is imperative if cancer rehabilitation is to realize its full potential in the age of value-based care.

Keywords

• cancer
• cancer rehabilitation
• rehabilitation
• cancer survivorship
• value-based care