Soft Tissue Sarcoma Oncology Rehabilitation

Oncology Rehabilitation for Soft Tissue Sarcoma

As a part of your integrated care team at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), our oncology rehabilitation team will help you stay active during and after your soft tissue sarcoma treatment experience, and enhance your quality of life.

Your occupational and physical therapists will design a soft tissue sarcoma oncology rehabilitation program that helps you rebuild your strength and endurance, regain independence, readjust to any long-term mobility issues that may result from treatment and help you to maintain the energy you need to successfully complete your treatment.

Personalized Care for Soft Tissue Sarcoma Patients

Soft tissue sarcomas can be located anywhere in the body, which may require a variety of treatment methods. Therefore, your oncology rehabilitation treatment will be designed to address your individual needs. Everyone is at a different level of wellness when they arrive at CTCA, and our goal is for you to return home prepared to resume all of the activities that you love.

Here are some of the soft tissue sarcoma oncology rehabilitation therapies available to you during treatment:

• Prosthesis and/or Mobility Changes: Your rehabilitation therapists can help you relearn tasks and adjust to performing activities in a new way. Though amputation is rare for soft tissue sarcoma treatment, your oncology rehabilitation team can help you master the use of your prosthesis, and assist you in resuming normal activities if this is part of your treatment plan.
• Scar Tissue Therapy: Surgery for soft tissue sarcoma can result in scar tissue, which can be inflexible and uncomfortable. We can perform scar and myofascial rehabilitation following sarcoma surgery to decrease pain and discomfort and increase mobility.
• Physical Therapy: This can include cardiovascular, flexibility and strength training to help coordination and balance, improve endurance and restore mobility.
• Occupational Therapy: You will learn how to perform everyday activities – such as dressing, grooming, bathing and eating – by addressing any post-treatment physical limitations.
• Auriculotherapy: Some soft tissue sarcoma treatments can cause side effects such as nausea, pain and fatigue. This painless, non-invasive technique, which involves an electrical stimulation of the auricle (outer part) of the external ear, can help alleviate some of these side effects. Auriculotherapy may also help with balance, which can be of potential benefit to patients with tumors in the lower extremities.
• ReBuilder: Chemotherapy for soft tissue sarcoma may cause peripheral neuropathy (numbness, pain and tingling in certain areas of the body). This approach involves an electronic stimulation to the area of neuropathy, such as the hands or feet, and may help improve abnormal sensations.
• Lymphedema Management: Some soft tissue sarcoma treatments can lead to chronic swelling of an extremity, known as lymphedema. This can feel uncomfortable, and your physical therapist can help to alleviate the symptoms caused by lymphedema.
• Post-Treatment Recommendations: Your oncology rehabilitation team will create an individualized exercise program focusing on stretching and therapeutic exercises for you to take home. Additionally, your therapist can advise you of signs and symptoms that may be of concern, and which signs may warrant a call to your physician after you have returned home.

Integrated Care Under One Roof 

At CTCA, we believe in providing individualized, integrated care to support you in mind, body and spirit. During your oncology rehabilitation for soft tissue sarcoma, your team will work hand in hand with your surgical oncologists, naturopaths, medical oncologists and the rest of your care providers in order to discuss your progress and assist with helping you resume everyday activities.

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