Cancer Rehabilitation – An evolving landscape in Singapore

Learning objectives:

1. Educate on the uniqueness of cancer patients to allow best practice rehabilitative care including oncology physiotherapy assessment and prescription of safe therapy intervention.

2. Understand the basics of cancer and its related medical treatments pathway in Singapore.

3. Learn about the current available evidence-based guidelines for exercise oncology and how to go about managing common cancer related challenges such as lymphedema and bone metastasis while preserving patient functional mobility.

4. Understand how supportive services such psychosocial intervention plays an imperative role to maximize cancer patients’ overall quality of life.

Convenor: Ms Aw Hui Zhen, Deputy Head, Physiotherapy, Lymphedema Practitioner, Cancer Rehabilitation Services, Singapore Cancer Society

Biography: Ms Aw Hui Zhen is Deputy Head of Rehabilitation. Her interests lie in managing a wide range of complex rehabilitation conditions including cancer related lymphedema, pain, prescription of effective and safe exercise intervention for patients during and after cancer treatments. Besides her clinical work, she leads a multidisciplinary team of allied health professionals to develop evidence-based oncology rehabilitation programmes as she hopes that various ongoing pilot studies conducted in Singapore Cancer Society Rehabilitation Centre can contribute to the basis of future recommendations of rehabilitation practice in Singapore.

Speaker: Dr Wong Chin Jung, Senior Consultant, Tan Tock Seng Hospital

Topic Title: Basics of Cancer and its Treatments

Biography: Dr Wong Chin Jung is a senior consultant specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation with special interests in managing the complications and symptoms from cancer and associated treatments. He underwent clinical fellowship in Cancer Rehabilitation at the Princess Margaret Cancer Center in Toronto from 2017-2018. Currently he runs the Oncology Rehabilitation services at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where he practices, and also helps out at the Cancer Rehabilitation clinics at the Singapore Cancer Society.

Speaker: Ms Vijayalaxmi Chadachan, Senior Physiotherapist, Lymphedema Practitioner ,Cancer Rehabilitation Services, Singapore Cancer Society

Topic Title: Common Cancer related Impairments

Biography: Ms Vijayalaxmi Chadachan is Senior Physiotherapist and Lymphedema Practitioner with over 16 years of experience working with cancer patients. Her interest lies in managing cancer patients with complex cancer-related lymphedema. As a strong advocate for sustainable clinical outcomes, she spearheads lymphedema workshops, ensuring patients faced with lifelong chronic disease are guided by evidence based yet pragmatic recommendations for self-care and provided with the necessary tools and support to achieve these.

Speaker: Ms Goh Jiaqian, Senior Physiotherapist, Cancer Rehabilitation Services, Singapore Cancer Society

Topic Title: Exercise in Cancer

Biography: Ms Goh Jiaqian is Senior Physiotherapist who has been working with patients with oncological background both in the acute and community settings in different phases of their cancer journeys. Her interest lies in managing cancer patients in their survivorship phase and in the end-of-life care as well. She is a strong advocate for providing prehabilitation to cancer patients and also to maximize quality of life after patients resume back to usual routine.

Speaker: Mr Jason Ho, Senior Social Worker, Psychosocial Services, Singapore Cancer Society

Topic Title: Managing psychosocial challenges in Cancer Patients

Biography: Mr Jason Ho holds a Bachelor in Social Work and is a certified Choice Theory Reality Therapist, Human Behaviour Consultant and a Career Practitioner. He specializes in providing psychosocial support to cancer survivors aiming to rejoin the workforce. He serves at the Singapore Cancer Society, going beyond direct patient care, aiming to foster a more inclusive society for those affected by cancer. Jason’s experience extends to palliative care, having spent four years supporting individuals facing terminal cancer; ensuring that each person lives his last days with dignity, guided by their own values and beliefs, through the Singapore Cancer Society's home hospice service.