Oncology Revolution

In this episode of the Oncology Revolution Podcast, Manisha Kumar, fitness coach, patient advocate, TEDx speaker, and breast cancer survivor, explores how exercise and strength training can reshape recovery and survivorship after cancer.

Drawing on both her own cancer journey and her work supporting people living with and beyond cancer, Manisha discusses how movement can help rebuild confidence and trust in the body after treatment, and why strength training deserves a much more prominent place in cancer care. She challenges long-standing fears around resistance training and lymphoedema, explores what the latest evidence tells us about exercising after breast cancer, and reflects on the gap that still exists between scientific recommendations and routine clinical practice.

What to reflect on:

• Are we doing enough by simply telling people with cancer to “stay active”, or should structured exercise be integrated into cancer care?
• What does the evidence really tell us about strength training and lymphoedema after breast cancer?
• As evidence continues to grow, what needs to change for exercise to become a routine part of cancer care and survivorship?

To learn more about the European School of Lifestyle Oncology and explore our courses for healthcare professionals, visit https://aim.clinic/en/eslo/

In this episode of the Oncology Revolution Podcast, Jennifer Guida, PhD, MPH, Director of the Division of Institutional Research, Associate Research Professor, and former NCI Program Director, explores how advances in cancer survivorship research can help us move beyond survival towards longer, healthier lives after cancer.Drawing on her work advancing cancer survivorship and healthspan innovation, Jennifer discusses the long-term consequences of cancer that often extend beyond recurrence surveillance, including functional and cognitive outcomes, quality of life, and the emerging evidence around accelerated biological aging. She also explores how patient-reported outcomes and real-world evidence can help us measure what truly matters to survivors, and why incorporating patient voices into research is essential to building more meaningful and equitable models of survivorship care.What to reflect on:• Are current survivorship models adequately addressing the long-term effects of cancer and its treatments beyond recurrence?• How can patient-reported outcomes and real-world evidence change what we measure — and ultimately how we deliver survivorship care?• As we learn more about aging, resilience, and health disparities after cancer, what should the next generation of survivorship care look like?

In this episode of the Oncology Revolution Podcast, Julie Bach, Founder and Executive Director of Wellness for Cancer and founding Chair of the Society for Integrative Oncology Health Coaching Special Interest Group, explores how health coaching, communication, and supportive care are transforming the way we care for people affected by cancer.

Drawing on decades of experience in integrative oncology and patient advocacy, Julie discusses why empowering individuals requires more than simply providing information. She shares practical coaching strategies that healthcare professionals can use to facilitate meaningful behaviour change, reflects on the growing role of wellness and supportive care throughout the cancer continuum, and explains how initiatives such as Wellness for Cancer and Spa4Pink are helping create more compassionate, person-centred models of care.

What to reflect on:

• How can health coaching help healthcare professionals support lasting lifestyle and behaviour change in oncology?

• What role do communication, education, and patient empowerment play in improving the cancer experience?

• How can wellness and supportive care become an integral part of comprehensive, person-centred cancer care?

In this episode of the Oncology Revolution Podcast, Amy Comander, MD, a medical oncologist, Medical Director of the Mass General Cancer Center in Waltham, Director of Breast Oncology and Cancer Survivorship, and Director of Lifestyle Medicine, explores what happens after cancer treatment ends and how care teams can better support patients through survivorship.Drawing from her clinical work at Mass General and Newton-Wellesley Hospital, and her background in lifestyle medicine, Amy discusses how physical activity, nutrition, and mind-body interventions can reshape the survivorship experience. She shares the story behind PAVING the Path to Wellness, the 12-week lifestyle medicine program she created to help patients rebuild health and quality of life beyond active treatment, and challenges us to rethink who is truly responsible for guiding patients through each phase of survivorship.What to reflect on:• What does life look like for an oncology patient once treatment ends, and how can we meaningfully support them?• How can structured programs like PAVING: The Path to Wellness change long-term survivorship outcomes?• Who truly owns the different phases of care across the cancer survivorship journey?

In this episode of the Oncology Revolution Podcast, Deborah Doherty, a physical therapist, educator, researcher, and expert in oncology rehabilitation and survivorship care explores the critical role of rehabilitation in supporting function, movement, and quality of life across the cancer continuum.

Drawing from her clinical and academic experience, Deborah highlights how exercise, prehabilitation, and integrative supportive care can transform survivorship outcomes and help redefine modern oncology care. She brings a practical, patient-centered perspective to a field that remains under-recognized in many healthcare systems.

What to reflect on:

• How can oncology rehabilitation be better integrated across the cancer continuum?
• What role do movement and exercise play in improving long-term survivorship outcomes?
• Why is rehabilitation still viewed as secondary rather than essential in cancer care?