Lifestyle Medicine

Overview

Lifestyle medicine is the use of lifestyle activities (such as exercise, diet and stress management) to help patients before, during and after their cancer treatment. The Lifestyle Medicine Clinic provides personalized one-on-one consultations for any patient with cancer or a history of cancer who wants to improve their physical fitness, nutrition, quality of life or cancer prognosis.

Prior to your first visit, you will need to complete a needs assessment to help us understand your personal priorities. Our experts will then evaluate and assess your personal needs and work in partnership with you to help set and achieve your personal goals; including:

• Prehabilitation: Physical therapy and/or personalized fitness training before surgery to improve post-surgery outcomes such as fitness and strength.
• Exercise During Treatment: Personalized exercise programs based on your current fitness level, personal goals, and cancer treatment to minimize side effects, prevent loss of function, and improve long-term outcomes. View exercise videos for cancer patients.
• Rehabilitation After Treatment: Physical therapy and/or an individualized exercise program to help restore physical function and improve your outcome.
• Weight Loss: Referral to Mass General’s Weight Center or Learn to Be Lean Program, particularly for patients whose outcome is linked to the body mass index, such as in breast cancer, colon cancer, and endometrial cancer.
• Nutrition: Individualized nutritional advice to help you to make better eating choices, which can decrease some of the toxicities associated with certain cancer treatments.

The team will then communicate their recommendations to your primary oncology team, physical therapist, and other clinicians involved in your care, and refer you to specialty clinics (as needed.)

Who is the clinic right for?

Any cancer patient can benefit from this program. Contact us if you need physical activity recommendations, have the desire to lose weight, are in need of increasing physical function before a surgery or procedure, or would like to decrease cancer-related fatigue.