B.C. Cancer to integrate rehab and exercise into patient care at diagnosis

B.C. Cancer has started a cancer physiatry program in Kelowna to provide integrated rehabilitation and exercise from the time of diagnosis, and Dr. Lauren Capozzi says the team received about 100 referrals in five months; the program cites a New England Journal of Medicine study linking structured exercise with improved colon cancer survival.

B.C. Cancer is introducing an integrated rehabilitation and exercise approach that begins when a patient is diagnosed, led in Kelowna by Dr. Lauren Capozzi, the organization's first cancer physiatrist. The initiative brings physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians and speech therapists together on a single team to work with patients from diagnosis. Capozzi describes this as "prehabilitation," which includes preparing patients with exercise and pain management before treatment and supporting recovery afterward. The Kelowna program began in September and is part of a broader effort to expand cancer physiatry across the province. Key details: - Dr. Lauren Capozzi is leading the first cancer physiatry program in B.C., based in Kelowna. - The program combines physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dietetics and speech therapy to work with patients as soon as they are diagnosed. - The Kelowna service started in September and is accessible by referral from a primary care physician. - Capozzi reported receiving about 100 patient referrals in the first five months of the program. - The article notes a New England Journal of Medicine study cited by Capozzi that reported higher long-term survival among colon cancer patients who took part in a structured exercise program over three years. Summary: B.C. Cancer's Kelowna program aims to make rehabilitation and exercise a routine part of cancer care from diagnosis and describes the approach as prehabilitation to support recovery and pain management. The team reports early demand and is working to expand the model beyond Kelowna.