TheOncoPT Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Trigger warning: the following podcast episode talks about depression, self-harm, & suicide.   If you are not in a headspace to listen to this episode today, that’s okay.  This is probably not the episode you want to hear today, but you certainly NEED TO HEAR IT.   It’s up to you to take care of yourself. If you don’t, no one else will.   Listen to this much-needed message NOW...

Send us Fan Mail DIEP Flap is one of the most popular reconstruction approaches for patients after breast cancer surgery.  However, access to DIEP Flap reconstruction is actively being threatened for our patients. We cannot let this happen.  To combat this, Terri Coutee of DiepCFoundation gave us the basics on what’s happening with DIEP flap, why, & most importantly, what we MUST do about it....

Send us Fan Mail One of the most challenging parts of clinical practice is balancing your responsibilities.  But the overachiever you are, you’re probably trying to do it all. That’s definitely what I did when I first started.  But it wasn’t until I heard this game-changing advice that I finally started prioritizing what really mattered, & quit working literally all hours of the day & nigh...

Send us Fan Mail In 2023, 2 million Americans are expected to be diagnosed with cancer.  These survivors will undergo cancer treatments that cause significant side effects & lasting functional impairments. Who better to treat these impairments than physical therapists?!  But… Unfortunately, most physical therapists lack the appropriate knowledge to treat cancer survivors confidently & comp...

Send us Fan Mail While proton therapy is still uncommon in the US, it’s quickly gaining traction as a more precise cancer treatment with a lot fewer side effects for our patients.  But is it worth knowing about if you don’t have a proton therapy center in your area? Short answer: ABSOLUTELY! Dive into the world of proton therapy with me as I interview Dr. Andrew Lee of Texas Center for Proton Ther...

Send us Fan Mail Case reports are one of the most important ways we can advance cancer rehab. Now I know what you’re probably thinking right now: “my ABPTS case report isn’t due for another couple months.  Why are we talking about case reports now?” The reality is, you need to start your case report TODAY.  Writing your case report is a time-consuming & challenging process.  By waiting, you’re...

Send us Fan Mail Starting a private practice is one thing, but keeping a private practice oncology clinic running for 3 years through a pandemic is a different thing entirely. Lisa Sylvestri, a seasoned oncology & lymphedema physical therapist, has been running her own private clinic ( Oasis Physical Therapy & Wellness ) for the past three years. Lisa's dedication to helping cancer pa...

Send us Fan Mail There’s a lot of opportunity to stretch & grow this spring, especially in your clinical practice. But you may be hesitant to try new approaches for one simple reason: you want to avoid making mistakes. But this can actually harm our patients, more than help them. And this is actually holding our profession back. In this episode, I am spilling ALLL my secrets on how to lean int...

Send us Fan Mail It can be easy to get lost in all the different cancer treatments & side effects. "What does what again?" Good thing Corissa Decker, BSN, RN, BMTCN is back to teach us about common side effects, mechanisms, & other things to know about chemotherapy & biological therapy, but don't worry: she makes it easy to follow & understand, so you'll walk aw...

Send us Fan Mail We are back from APTA-CSM 2020, & it was a blast! The courses were phenomenal, the platform presentations were fantastic, & the oncology PT community is so vibrant - it's incredible to see how much the Academy is growing & the young professional/student interest & excitement!  I learned soooo much this year, but after reflecting on the excitement & educati...

Send us Fan Mail While cancer can affect a person at any age, AYA cancer survivors experience unique challenges.  And these challenges can affect them for potentially the rest of their life, beyond direct treatment side effects.   Physical therapist & cancer survivor, Scott Capozza, understands this experience firsthand. While Scott initially did not want the “label” of cancer survivor, he has...

Send us Fan Mail After over a decade of advocacy, lobbying, educating, and more, the Lymphedema Treatment Act (LTA) was finally signed into law. However, this doesn't mean that we can sit back and relax. I invited Sarah Bramblette from the Lymphedema Advocacy Group to share what this bill means for us and our patients, and what we must do moving forward to close the care gap for all patients...

Send us Fan Mail Presenting at a conference can be a really exciting way to be more involved in your profession and to potentially Advance your career. however, the thought of putting together a presentation, compiling all that material, standing up on stage, and answering audience questions can be a little scary overwhelming. But it doesn't have to be. Meredith Stutz and Naomi Klingbeil rece...

Send us Fan Mail Okay, so not leaving cancer rehab altogether.  But you should totally take a break from exclusively rehab conferences, & here's why: As rehab professionals, we often attend conferences related to our specific field.  But that’s usually where it stops.  Most rehab pros will never attend a non-rehab conference. But you’re actually missing out on a TON of helpful rehab info…...

Send us Fan Mail OncoPTs can serve in any setting to help patients diagnosed with cancer, including…the emergency department? Yep, especially the emergency department. Dr. Rebekah Griffith is a highly experienced physical therapist specializing in emergency medicine. She’s been working in the emergency department (ED) for almost a decade, where she has played a vital role in the early management a...

Send us Fan Mail More patients than ever understand what physical therapy is.  However, this isn’t exactly the win we need right now.  Insurance reimbursement is dropping year after year.  PTs are leaving the profession more than ever, despite the “oversaturation” of PT school & new grads (which is totally false, by the way).   Cancer survivors are falling through the cracks, still told they s...

Send us Fan Mail We probably all know a little bit about the Prospective Surveillance Model (PSM), but have you ever thought about PSM for pediatrics? Dr. Nashwa Khalil & Dr. Lynn Tanner, two pediatric oncologic PTs, discuss how cancer rehab helps pediatric patients, how Prospective Surveillance Model works in the pediatric setting, & some of the barriers they encountered when putting the...

Send us Fan Mail Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we’re talking all about SEX on the podcast! And who better to discuss sex & intimacy after cancer treatment, than Drs. Alexandra Hill & Ijeoma Nwankpa?   Alex & Ijeoma are both board certified clinical specialists in women’s health physical therapy & have teamed up to present an incredible APTA-CSM session called Sexual Survivorshi...

Send us Fan Mail When I first started practicing as an OncoPT, I couldn’t wait to become an expert with all the answers. Today, I realize that we don’t need all the answers to start helping our patients TODAY. What we should be doing instead is filling the gaps in our knowledge.  One of the best ways to do this is by preparing to become a specialist. In this Q&A session, I did with APTA Oncolo...

Send us Fan Mail APTA-CSM is just around the corner, & it’s easily one of the most exciting PT conferences you’ll ever go to.   However, it’s really easy to get overwhelmed by all the excitement, & before you know it, the conference is over & you don’t remember a thing.   Here’s how to make the most of your CSM experience without wasting your time & money: Listen now! If you want a...

Send us Fan Mail The first few years of being an OncoPT are challenging & full of growth opportunities.   Translation: hard lessons & lots of mistakes.   Sometimes, we get so wrapped up in just trying to survive, we miss these really important lessons we’re learning along the way. After *almost* 5 years of practice, we’re recounting the top 5 lessons every new OncoPT MUST learn. Have you l...

Send us Fan Mail I don’t know about you, but 2022 seems like a bit of a blur, now that it’s finally over.  Last year was a big year for growth & learning, with plenty of lessons I’m taking with me into the new year. In today’s podcast episode, I’m sharing my 2022 recap, the lessons I’m taking to heart, & how I’m working to be the best OncoPT version of myself I can.   I believe that by ref...

Send us Fan Mail Cancer & its treatments cause tremendous side effects that patients deal with both acutely & in the long-run.   Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT) is perhaps one of the most brutal treatments a person can undergo.  As Dr. Palazzo puts it, it’s like taking patients to the brink of death & bringing them back - intense, right? The amazing news is: these patients ca...

Send us Fan Mail Hands-down: this is probably the most USEFUL podcast episode you’ll listen to before 2023. We’re bringing back THE Dr. Susan Maltser, DO.  She wrote the BIBLE OF BASICS when it comes to being safe with people who have or who have had cancer.  We cover safety & red flags, plus how to not let fear (I see you, bone mets) stop us from being the best physical therapist possible for...

Send us Fan Mail We’re wrapping up 2022 with some of our favorite episodes from the past year.   So you want to work in OncoPT...but don't know how (or where) to start?  This episode is just for you! Welcome to this week's Ask Me Anything, with Dr. Karen Rivera Yepiz.  She had a lot of AMAZING questions about finding a job, additional certifications, & so much more.  I know every new...