TheOncoPT Podcast

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We're back with our #4 top episode of TheOncoPT Podcast 2025! 🎉⬇️

What sets a good oncology PT apart from a great one? 

Becoming a specialist in OncoPT doesn’t just elevate your clinical skills—it transforms how you advocate for patients, opens new career opportunities, and positions you as a leader in this growing field. 

And one of the most powerful ways to showcase your expertise? The ABPTS Oncology Specialty Certification Exam.

If you’ve ever wondered whether certification is right for you, this episode will help you think bigger about your career and what’s possible. Plus, I’ll share how preparing for the exam can make you a more confident, capable, and effective oncology PT—long before you ever sit for the test.

🎧 Tune in now to start your journey from good to great in OncoPT!

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We’re starting our Top 5 Episodes of 2025 with an interview that showed up in your downloads all year long. It’s earned the #5 spot, and today we’re bringing it back for another listen. Enjoy! 

Too often, people living with and beyond cancer are sidelined from fitness—not because they can’t exercise, but because programs aren’t designed with their unique needs in mind. 

In this episode, Elise talks with Dr. Kaci and Dr. Reed Handlery, PTs, about building inclusive, sustainable community-based programs for people with mobility challenges—including those living with and beyond cancer. 

From the CSM stage to real-world community impact, Kaci and Reed share how they’re creating inclusive, adaptable programs that meet patients where they are—and empower them to go further. 

We covered:

• The role of seated, high-intensity movement for oncology patients
• How to adapt exercise creatively for mobility impairments and other barriers
• What it takes to build and sustain inclusive fitness programs in your community
• How to identify and empower community champions to keep patients engaged

And best of all: you’ll be inspired to rethink what's possible in your exercise prescription—inside and outside the clinic.

Listen now to discover how you can bring this innovative, adaptable approach to your oncology patients!

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Day 2 of TCRCC2025 wrapped this year’s conference with power, purpose, and so many mic-drop moments you’ll want to revisit again and again.

In this episode, we’re digging into standout Day 2 clips—from clinical insights to career perspective shifts—and unpacking the themes that had our chat buzzing all day long. I’ll share what these sessions mean for the future of cancer rehab and how you can put these ideas into action starting now.

If you’re looking to extend your conference glow and bring fresh strategy into your work, this is your episode.

📣 TCRCC2026 Is Coming!

 Mark your calendar and grab your spot early because next year is already shaping up to be our biggest and boldest yet.

🗓 Friday, November 6 – Saturday, November 7, 2026
🎟 Early bird registration is officially open
🎤 Speaker applications are now live (and due March 1, 2026)

Let’s keep building the future of cancer rehab TOGETHER.

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Day 1 of The Cancer Rehab Community Conference 2025 did not come to play.

In this episode, I’m walking you through some of the biggest takeaways, mindset shifts, and “I needed to hear that” moments from our Day 1 speakers. You’ll hear select clips straight from the sessions and my behind-the-scenes reflections on why these messages matter for cancer rehab right now.

Whether you were there live or you’re catching up afterward, this episode will help you carry the momentum, clarity, and fire from Day 1 into your own practice.

📣 TCRCC2026 Is Coming!
We’re already gearing up for next year’s conference—and you’re invited.
🗓 Friday, November 6 – Saturday, November 7, 2026
🎟 Early bird registration is officially open
🎤 Speaker applications are now live (and due March 1, 2026)

If TCRCC2025 lit you up… just wait until 2026.

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If you feel like “having it all” in cancer rehab is a pipe dream, LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW.

This October, I visited The Cancer Survivorship Center in Amarillo, Texas - and I was not prepared for the AMAZINGNESS of this community-based cancer organization.

In short, The Cancer Survivorship Center serves as a great example of accessible, equitable cancer survivorship in action. 

We’ll dive into the practical ways they’re addressing challenges we also see in OncoPT, and why this is such an encouraging model for our field. Think of this episode as a personal look at lessons we can take from a site doing this community work EXCEEDINGLY WELL.

Listen now for some inspiration & motivation to get going in your own community!

Links mentioned in this episode:

Seated Doesn't Mean Easy: Adaptive Fitness for Your Oncology Patients

The BIGGEST CANCER REHAB RESEARCH Just Dropped: What to Know

How to talk the talk AND walk the walk of accessible cancer survivorship

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The Cancer Rehab Community Conference 2025 kicks off this Friday!

And if it’s your first time attending, this episode is your insider guide to everything you need to know before we begin.

I walk you through what makes TCRCC unlike any other conference — from its all-virtual, interactive format to the brand-new networking and community engagement features launching this year.

You’ll learn what to expect, how to make the most of your experience, and why this weekend is about more than just learning — it’s about connection, collaboration, and expanding your impact in cancer rehab.

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Lymphedema care has come a long way—but we still have work to do.

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Mary Calys, Senior Clinical Specialist at Tactile Medical and a seasoned expert in cancer rehab and lymphedema management.

Mary dives into how lymphedema care has evolved over the years (including a SHOCKING anecdote from her first lymphedema experience), what’s still holding patients back from getting the treatment they need, and how Tactile Medical is helping bridge those gaps through innovation and education.

We talk about real-world barriers to care, the importance of clinician awareness, and how home-based compression options are changing what’s possible for patients living with lymphedema.

Whether you’re brand new to cancer rehab or have been in the field for decades, this conversation will give you a fresh perspective on where lymphedema care is headed, and how we can all do better for our patients.

____________________________________________________________________

Today’s episode is brought to you by Tactile Medical, proud Gold Sponsor of The Cancer Rehab Community Conference 2025. Tactile Medical is a leader in at-home therapies for people living with chronic, underserved conditions - including lymphedema, lipedema, chronic venous insufficiency, and chronic pulmonary disease - helping them live better and care for themselves at home.

Their clinically proven Flexitouch® Plus system empowers patients to manage swelling, improve limb health, and enhance quality of life - all from the comfort of home.

We’re honored to have Tactile Medical’s partnership as we prepare for our most impactful conference yet!

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What happens to your cancer rehab program when you’re not there?

In this episode, Dr. Karyn Jarrett dives into about one of the biggest challenges in oncology rehab right now: how to build programs that last beyond a single clinician.

Dr. Jarrett shares how she’s using implementation strategies to make cancer rehab sustainable, so that it’s not dependent on one champion but built into the fabric of care.

We also dig into:

• What “implementation science” actually looks like in real-world oncology rehab
• How to bridge the research to practice gap
• Why sustainability isn’t just a buzzword - it’s the future of cancer rehab
• How to build a guiding coalition that keeps the work moving forward

If you’ve ever wondered how to make your cancer rehab program truly stick (and survive long after you’ve moved on), this conversation is for you.

🎟️ Join us at The Cancer Rehab Community Conference 2025, where Dr. Jarrett will dive even deeper at her session: “Utilizing Implementation Strategy to Guide Prospective Cancer Surveillance in a Large Healthcare System”: https://TheCancerRehabCommunity.com/2025-conference

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In this #TCRCC2025 preview episode, I’m joined by Dr. Kelly Martin, a rising leader in helping cancer survivors get back in the game literally. 

Return to sport after cancer is an area that doesn’t get enough attention in oncology rehab, but it matters -- not just for competitive athletes, but for any person ready to reclaim meaningful movement after a cancer diagnosis.

Kelly is bringing a powerful session to The Cancer Rehab Community Conference 2025, and today she’s sharing why this topic is such a critical opportunity for PTs to step up and make a real difference.

Save your seat today at The Cancer Rehab Community Conference!

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Sometimes the best connections happen completely by chance.

Case in point: at a recent gala, I just happened to sit next to another physical therapist – and what started as casual small talk turned into one of the best, most energizing conversations of the night. It was the perfect reminder that magic happens when you’re in the room where it happens.

These kinds of unplanned, real-life conversations matter so much in oncology rehab – but you can’t be a part of these convos, if you’re not there.

Which is exactly why you need to be in the (virtual) room at The Cancer Rehab Community Conference 2025.

Because #TCRCC2025 isn’t just a conference — it’s where oncology rehab professionals connect, collaborate, and spark the next wave of change in our field.

Save your seat at The Cancer Rehab Community 2025 today!

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