Cancer Control Alberta has put in place the Amber Study focused on breast cancer and targeted towards speeding up recovery times, improving long term quality of life, and reducing the risk of disease recurrence and premature death. The focus is on the participant’s physical activity and fitness in relation to disease outcomes, quality of life and lymphedema. Their rehabilitation oncology department offers services related primarily to lymphedema, including compression bandaging, manual lymph drainage, exercise, and education regarding skincare, self-massage and home management. They also offer occupational therapy and physiotherapy assessments of range of motion, function, pain, mobility and weakness, lymphedema education and a cancer related fatigue class taught monthly.
Alberta Cancer Exercise Program for Survivors (ACE) is a five- year study that is evaluating the benefit from, and implementation of, an Alberta-wide clinic-to-community-based cancer and exercise model of care. ACE is a free 12-week community-based exercise program designed specifically for individuals undergoing or recovering from cancer treatment. Participants attend an exercise program tailored to their fitness level and their personal lifestyle goals twice a week over a 12 week period. Spring 2018 programming schedule is available for Edmonton and Red Deer.