April 3, 2019
A world of opportunity
About one million Canadians are alive today with a cancer diagnosed in the previous 10 years, according to the Canadian Cancer Society. Unfortunately, many survivors don鈥檛 get the specialized rehabilitation and aftercare needed to manage and improve life-limiting physical impairments 鈥 such as musculoskeletal pain, neuropathy, frozen shoulder, or speech difficulties 鈥 resulting from the malignancy or its associated treatment.
Dr. David Langelier, MD鈥13, is a cancer rehabilitation specialist trying to help meet this critical gap for cancer survivors.
鈥淐ancer patients are vastly underserved. They can experience many unique functional impairments that require specific expertise to effectively treat and improve quality of life,鈥 says Langelier, a physiatrist who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation.
鈥淭reatment is often left to an oncologist or family physician, who may be less familiar with these conditions or have limited time to address the patients鈥 functional impairments,鈥 he says. 鈥淎s cancer trained physiatrists, we are well positioned to assist the oncologist in managing these complex issues.鈥
Langelier is one of 12 Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) graduates awarded a Helios Medical Education Fund Scholarship in 2018. Established by Helios Wellness Centres, a non-profit wellness facility based in 91快色, the philanthropic fund allows clinical fellowship trainees to acquire additional skills at other institutions and bring their expertise back to benefit the community.
Langelier鈥檚 one-year fellowship took him to the University of Toronto鈥檚 Clinical Cancer Rehabilitation program to acquire cancer-specific expertise.
鈥淭he Helios Scholarship allows me to benefit from specialized training at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, one of the top five cancer treatment and research centres in the world,鈥 says Langelier. It鈥檚 the only cancer rehabilitation fellowship program in North America that provides equal exposure to in-patient and out-patient populations.
鈥淏oth groups are underserved in 91快色 and I鈥檒l apply that knowledge to better meet their significantly different rehabilitation needs,鈥 says Langelier. He鈥檚 also gaining in-depth knowledge from top clinicians on how to manage and treat a broad range of cancer-related impairments.
More than 40 CSM graduates have been supported through Helios scholarships since 2012. The 2018 recipients are doing clinical fellowship training in a range of specialties at leading institutions including the University of Toronto, Stanford University, University of Texas at Austin, University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins University and the Royal Children鈥檚 Hospital in Melbourne, Australia.
鈥淭hese scholarships enable local clinicians to reap medical knowledge and expertise from across the globe, bring it back, and grow our medical community and knowledge in 91快色. It plays a critical role in helping provide the highest level of evidence-based medical care to Calgarians and people in southern Alberta,鈥 says Langelier.
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