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Physical Therapy Treatment of Individuals with Cancer: An Examination of Practice Patterns in Michigan

&NA; Presented as a research platform at the American Physical Therapy Association's Combined Sections Meeting, in Boston, Massachusetts, February 2007. Purpose: To describe physical therapist oncology practice patterns in Michigan. Subjects: 1000 randomly selected physical therapists licensed and practicing in Michigan. Methods: A prospective, descriptive study was performed using the survey method for data collection. Following institutional review board approval, surveys with consent forms were mailed to subjects; nonrespondents received follow‐up postcard reminders. Analysis: Descriptive statistics reported positive response as percent of total response for each item using SPSS (14.0) software. Results: 249 (24.9%) usable surveys were returned. 61% of subjects reported treating individuals with a primary (7%) or a secondary diagnosis of cancer (54%). Case load percents were primarily 1% to 10%. Most common treatments were: strengthening (73%), home exercise programs (70%), and flexibility and patient education (both 69%). Monitoring methods were: heart rates (53%), Borg Scale (40%), oxygen saturation (33%), blood pressures (6%), laboratory values (4%), and no monitoring during treatment (27%). Functional outcome measures were: not measured (27%), 6 or 12 minute walk test (9.2%), and FIMs (6%). Discussion/Conclusion: Cancer prevalence ranks second in the United States, with Michigan rates exceeding national standards. Although cancer related functional deficits are commonly reported, oncology conditions comprise only a small percent of physical therapists' caseloads in Michigan. Interventions types were limited, and monitoring and functional outcome measures were inconsistently used. Further education and study on the efficacy of physical therapy interventions for oncology related functional deficits are recommended.