Physio study seeks Manitobans with cancer care experience
A new UM study is seeking Manitobans who have received cancer treatment over the past 10 years to take part in a survey about their physical rehabilitation needs.
Previous studies indicated that most people living with cancer experience long-standing side effects, both from their cancer and related treatments. Physical rehabilitation is an effective strategy to mitigate these side effects, but there is a gap in awareness of these services, said study lead Denise Dreikluft, a physiotherapist and a master’s student at the College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.
“I’m hoping to make an impact by raising the awareness of the need for physiotherapy in oncology, and also get a better sense of the extent of side effects that people are dealing with and the functional impact of that,” Dreikluft said. “Hopefully we can make a difference in terms of accessibility and further research.”
Dreikluft noted that in a national study by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer conducted in 2016, 87 per cent of 13,000 participants reported ongoing physical and functional concerns following their cancer treatment. However, Dreikluft’s study is the first specific to Manitoba.
The survey will also be open to people with a history of any kind of cancer, including some that were not covered in the national study, including gynecological, head and neck, and lung cancers.
“We’re hoping to get data from all types of cancer,” Dreikluft said. “Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Manitoba, and head and neck and gynecological cancers are known to have significant side effects.”
The web-based survey will be open for six weeks, beginning June 11. Dreikluft estimates it will take respondents 20-25 minutes to complete and says they can fill it out over more than one sitting.
In addition to completing cancer treatments over the last 10 years, eligible participants must be 18 years of age or older, fluent in reading and writing in English, and a Manitoba resident at the time of the survey.
Dreikluft is a UM alumna, with a bachelor’s degree in physiotherapy (2001). She has worked clinically since, focusing on cancer rehabilitation for the last decade.
In 2019, she founded PhysioCARE+, the only clinic in the province focused solely on cancer-related rehabilitation. Her work there led her to pursing a master’s degree with the goal of creating awareness for the benefits of physiotherapy in cancer care.
“Seeing first-hand through my patients the need and benefits of physical therapy for side effects brought me back to school, to expand knowledge and hopefully spur some change in terms of accessibility,” she said.
Apply to the Physical Rehabilitation Needs of Cancer Survivors in Manitoba survey.