Children who are treated for cancer are at risk for decreased functional status both during and after their treatment.  Decreased physical function due to treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), lymphoma, solid tumors, and CNS tumors may lead to decreased overall activity levels and an increased risk of obesity, decreased bone mineral density, and later in life cardiovascular disease. Now that the vast majority of children survive cancer treatment, we must understand the physical deficits that this treatment brings and intervene in order to maintain normal motor development and improve their quality of life during and after treatment.

Treatment for childhood cancer can be quite intense and often is prolonged over months and years.  In addition to the potential impact of surgery and radiation therapy, chemotherapeutic agents that are known to be toxic to the neuromuscular and musculoskeletal system are commonly used in childhood cancer. More specifically, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) can affect children and adolescents during and after cancer treatment and is likely related to functional outcomes.  Physical therapists must understand cancer-related impairments and choose appropriate outcome measurements in order to design a successful plan of care. In our presentation we will: 1) Describe the disease process, epidemiology, and typical treatment regimen for childhood leukemias, lymphomas, and solid tumors including CNS tumors 2) discuss the current literature and our ongoing research on CIPN, physical impairments and motor performance deficits in children, adolescents, and survivors of these childhood cancers; 3) describe possible outcome measurements appropriate to these populations; 4) discuss the evidence base for and practical application of intervention techniques to address common physical impairments and function; 5) provide lab time to practice assessment and intervention techniques with volunteer patients and 6) present case studies that portray the clinical relevance of the course material.

• Participants will receive a certificate of participation for 1.4 CEUS (14 contact hours) at the conclusion of the course
• Snacks will be provided and lunch is on your own. Please dress comfortably.

Course Schedule

8:00 am – 4:00 pm Both Days

• 7:30 am: Registration
• 8:00 am – 12:00 pm: Session
• 12:00 – 1:00 pm: Lunch (on your own)
• 1:00 – 4:00 pm: Session/Q&A

Course Objectives

At the conclusion of this course, a participant should be able to:

• Describe the typical treatment regimen for children with leukemia, lymphoma, and solid tumors including CNS tumors.
• Describe the current literature on CIPN in children and adolescents with non-CNS cancer.
• Describe the current literature on physical impairments, motor performance deficits in children with leukemia, lymphoma, and solid tumors.
• Discuss the pros and cons of different outcome measurements to use in these populations.
• Describe and demonstrate assessment and intervention techniques to address common physical impairments and motor performance deficits in children with leukemia, lymphoma, and solid tumors.

Speaker Information

Laura Gilchrist PT, PhD is an Associate Professor of Physical Therapy at St. Catherine University and a Clinical Research Scientist at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of MN.  Her research focuses on cancer-related impairments of the neuromuscular systems.  She is currently the PI of a study on the prevalence and persistence of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in children undergoing chemotherapy and a second study on motor performance deficits in children undergoing cancer therapy. She has presented at the APTA Combined Section Meetings, American Pediatric Hematology Oncology Nursing Association Conferences, and a Children’s Oncology Group meeting.

Lynn Tanner, PT is a Rehabilitation Clinical Specialist in Oncology at Children’s Minnesota. She received her BA in Child Psychology from the University of Minnesota in 1999 and her Master’s in Physical Therapy from the Mayo School of Health Related Sciences in 2001.  In her current role, she provides PT services to the oncology population in the oncology clinic, conducts research related to pediatric oncology, and serves as a resource for pediatric oncology rehabilitation.  She has presented at the APTA Combined Section Meetings, American Pediatric Hematology Oncology Nursing Association Conferences, Children’s Oncology Group meeting, and International Society of Pediatric Oncology meeting. She was awarded the Emerging Leader Award for 2010 from the APTA and served as the chair of the Pediatric Oncology Special Interest Group from 2010-2014.

This one-day course will allow for the outpatient clinician to evaluate and treat a patient with a history of cancer diagnosis or is currently undergoing cancer treatments.  The clinician will understand the various types of cancer treatments and how the side effects may present in their clinic.

Note: Participants will receive a certificate of participation for 0.8 CEUS at the conclusion of the course

Course Objectives

At the conclusion of this course, a participant should be able to:

• Review pathophysiology of cancer, prevalence and important statistics.
• Explain techniques used to diagnose, surgically and medically treat cancer.
• Review appropriate exercise prescriptions when treating patients who have a past or current diagnosis of cancer.
• Learn precautions, contraindications and red flags to look for when working with cancer survivors.
• Review of oncologic emergencies, lab values and screening used to determine safety when treating a patient with a history of cancer.

Specific cancers to be covered in this class: prostate, breast, colorectal, pelvic, melanoma, leukemia, lymphoma and head and neck cancer.

Course Schedule

8:00 am – 6:00 pm

• 7:30 am      Registration
• 8:00 am – 12:00 pm      Session
• 12:00 – 1:00 pm      Lunch
• 1:00 – 6:00 pm      Session

Speaker Information

Frannie Westlake, PT, DPT, Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Neurologic and Oncologic Physical Therapy

Frannie Westlake, PT, DPT, NCS received her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, FL in 2012. She went on to complete her Neurological residency at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pittsburgh, PA and received her NCS in 2014. Since 2015, Frannie has worked at Oncology Rehab in Denver, CO and is the clinical coordinator for neurological and exercise rehab program.  She treats a variety of oncology, vestibular and neurological diagnosis.  Her passion is working with patients who are currently undergoing chemotherapy and has complaints of chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy.  She is also actively working on a pre-op protocol for patients who have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and 13 month old son and black lab.  They enjoy going on hikes and spending time in the mountains of Colorado.

Frannie actively lectures at CSM with APTA and has published 2 journal articles in Rehabilitation Oncology.  She is the current education chair for the Oncology Section.

Course Description

In the past, cancer survivors were encouraged not to exercise for fear that such activities were detrimental. Today, however, exercise is increasingly viewed as an integral component of the treatment plan regardless of where these survivors are on the cancer spectrum. Cancer and its treatment often results in patients with complex medical problems, making it clinically more challenging to utilize exercise training as a therapeutic intervention. This course will address issues associated with using exercise interventions with this population including why exercise interventions are needed for this patient population, how to implement exercise programs for this patient population and do so safely, and how to assess changes in fitness in this patient population. The course includes a lab component which provides the attendees with hands on instruction in both the assessment of exercise capacity survivors and the application of exercise training methodologies to these individuals. Completion of this course will increase the ability of a practicing rehabilitation professional to more successfully treat cancer survivors.

Course Objectives

At the conclusion of this course, a participant should be able to:

• Explain the basic biology of exercise, cancer and acute and adaptive responses to exercise
• Describe cancer diagnoses, cancer treatments, and side effects particularly as they relate to impairments
• Understand how exercise training can improve functional capacity, quality of life, and improve prognosis following a cancer diagnosis.
• Recognize and respond to adverse responses to exercise training
• Appropriately modify exercise program in response to acute patient status
• Write exercise prescriptions for the oncology patient and survivor
• Identify and use of appropriate outcome measures in the oncology setting
• Discuss safety concerns associated with exercising this patient population
• Discuss the use of exercise training across the cancer spectrum
• Discuss exercise interventions in the context of  lymphedema and treatment associated peripheral edema
• Describe the role of exercise in treating the cancer survivor

Participants will receive a certificate of participation for 0.8 CEUS (8 contact hours) at the conclusion of the course.

Snacks will be provided and lunch is on your own. Please dress comfortably.

Course Schedule

8:00 am – 6:00 pm

• 7:30 am      Registration
• 8:00 am – 12:00 pm      Session
• 12:00 – 1:00 pm      Lunch
• 1:00 – 6:00 pm      Session

Instructors: G Stephen Morris, PT, PhD, Fellow American College of Sports Medicine

Biography:

G. Stephen Morris, PT, PhD, FACSM received his PhD from the University of Texas and completed a NIH Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at UC Irvine.  Seeking credentials to do human research, he later earned a MS degree in Physical Therapy from Texas Woman’s University, Houston, Texas and a license in Physical Therapy.  After teaching stints in physical therapy programs at Texas Woman’s University and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, he joined the Dept. of Rehabilitation Services at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center.  There he both treated patients and pursued research focused on identifying treatment outcome measures that are most appropriate for use in the oncology rehabilitation setting and the integration of the principles of exercise physiology into oncology rehabilitation.

He served briefly as the Director of Rehabilitation Services at St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital and conducted research in the area of cancer survivorship. He recently retired from the Physical Therapy Program at Wingate University, Wingate, NC and was named the University’s first Distinguish Professor.  He currently serves as the President of the Academy of Oncologic Physical Therapy of the American Physical Therapy Association. Dr. Morris has published over 60 manuscripts and 3 book chapters and has spoken nationally and internationally on the utility and implementation of exercise training principals in the context of oncology rehabilitation.

Hotels

Amway Grand Plaza Hotel
187 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
616.774.2000
0.9 miles west of Mary Free Bed 

Holiday Inn
310 Pearl St. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
616.235.7611
One mile northwest of Mary Free Bed 

Downtown Courtyard by Marriott
11 Monroe NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
616.242.6000 or 800.321.2211
One mile west of Mary Free Bed 

Hampton Inn & Suites – Downtown
433 Dudley Pl. NE, Grand Rapids 49503
616.456.2000
One mile north of Mary Free Bed