
PORi CORE
Breast Cancer Rehabilitation

The PORi Breast Cancer rehabilitation course instructs participants in the clinical skill sets and techniques needed to effectively deliver well-structured, specialized oncology rehabilitation therapy to breast cancer patients in any phase of their cancer treatment and beyond. The clinical skill sets and techniques instructed in PORi are based on the PORi Body Systems Approach, which includes integrated treatment models designed to include Myofascial Trigger Point Release, Joint Mobilization, Neural Mobilization, Lymphatic Manual Drainage, Pain Mitigation and Functional Restoration.
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Prerequisite: Foundation in Oncology Rehabilitation
Target Audience: PT / OT / PTA / OTA
Course Type: Live Webinar / Video & Live Virtual Lab Sessions
Contact Hours: 31 hrs
Price: $1250
Target Audience: PT / OT / PTA / OTA
Course Type: Live Webinar / Video & Live Virtual Lab Sessions
Contact Hours: 31 hrs
Price: $1250
The integrated clinical techniques and the breast cancer patient management system are placed in the context of understanding the physiological and anatomical effects of cancer treatments including specific surgical interventions, chemotherapy regimens, radiation therapy, and adjuvant medications.
Careful study is made of the impact of cancer treatment on the Epidermal, Dermal, Myofascial, Skeletal, Lymphatic, Vascular and Neural Systems, and the treatment protocols instructed by PORi relate to the optimal resolution of signs and symptoms within these body systems.
All of the clinical skill sets and techniques instructed within the PORi Oncology Rehabilitation Curriculum are derived from evidence-based clinical applications within the scope of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy practice. One of the more defining elements of PORi, presented alongside PT/OT evidence-based clinical application, is the necessary physiological and anatomical knowledge unique to the oncology patient population, which is required by qualified practitioners to accurately and safely implement oncology-specific treatment plans and realistic goal-based outcomes for this patient population.
Live and/or Video Patient Presentations
Running over 28hrs, the PORi Breast Cancer Rehabilitation continuing education course includes patient case presentations of patients who have undergone a variety of treatments for breast cancer and present with a variety of conditions and side-effects relating to their cancer treatments. For virtual courses, patient presentations will run from between 60 minutes and 90 minutes via pre-recorded videos of patient treatments, technique demonstrations and patient interviews. In live courses or live lab supplementary courses, a patient case presentation can run as long as 3 hours and participants are given the opportunity, with guided supervision from the instructor, to perform subjective and objective evaluations on these patients, as well as practice the appropriate techniques (presented in the course) on the patients during these lab sessions.
Course Requirements
Examination
Within 7 days of the completion of the course, participants are required to complete a 90 minute written examination. There may also be a participant competency exam of 2 separate patient volunteers (arranged by PORi). Course participants will interview patient volunteers that will call in during the course and there will be a multidisciplinary clinical management implementation discussion. Understanding of techniques of oncology rehabilitation therapy and their application as well as an understanding of the effects of cancer treatments on the body’s systems will be tested. A passing grade (75%) is required for Continuing Education Units to be issued. Participants who do not pass the exam will be eligible to sit a supplementary exam.
Target Audience for the Course
Qualified and Licensed Physical Therapists (Physiotherapists), Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapy Assistants, and Certified Occupational Therapists are the target audience for the course.
Ratio of Instructor to Participants
In-person courses with live patient labs are limited to 16 people. All other course formats are variable depending on the facility hosts and instructor preference.
Breast Cancer Rehabilitation - Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of the course, participants will be able to:
- Course participants must attend 90% of scheduled course hours
- Each participant must sign in and out of the course each day
- Each participant must complete the online post course exam
Within 7 days of the completion of the course, participants are required to complete a 90 minute written examination. There may also be a participant competency exam of 2 separate patient volunteers (arranged by PORi). Course participants will interview patient volunteers that will call in during the course and there will be a multidisciplinary clinical management implementation discussion. Understanding of techniques of oncology rehabilitation therapy and their application as well as an understanding of the effects of cancer treatments on the body’s systems will be tested. A passing grade (75%) is required for Continuing Education Units to be issued. Participants who do not pass the exam will be eligible to sit a supplementary exam.
Target Audience for the Course
Qualified and Licensed Physical Therapists (Physiotherapists), Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapy Assistants, and Certified Occupational Therapists are the target audience for the course.
Ratio of Instructor to Participants
In-person courses with live patient labs are limited to 16 people. All other course formats are variable depending on the facility hosts and instructor preference.
Breast Cancer Rehabilitation - Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of the course, participants will be able to:
- Explain the components of breast cancer diagnosis and how the identified biological markers inform the Staging and Grading of patients’ breast cancer.
- Understand & Explain how Staging and Grading inform breast cancer treatment pathways, which subsequently inform rehabilitation pathways of management for patients undergoing surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and hormone-based therapies.
- Describe the unique, clinically relevant, aspects of breast cancer-related tumor resection surgeries, including all myocutaneous and free flap surgeries.
- Discuss prehabilitation and rehabilitation guidelines and treatment pathways for effective management of surgical oncology patients across the scope of breast cancer-related surgeries.
- Describe three different types of radiation therapy treatment applications for patients with breast cancer, and the prehabilitative and rehabilitative management of adverse side effects of radiation therapy, including radiation induced fibrosis.
- Discuss PTs/OTs roles in the clinical management of chemotoxicities, including management of myelosuppression, chemo-induced peripheral neuropathy, cardiotoxicity, cancer related fatigue, hormone changes, and cancer related cognitive changes in patients undergoing breast cancer-specific chemotherapy regimens.
- Explain the difference between the key treatment goals of patients with breast cancer receiving systemic chemotherapy regimens, targeted treatment regimens, and immunotherapy treatment regimens.
- Describe salient signs and symptoms of breast cancer disease progression and be able to effectively evaluate for differential diagnoses with bone metastases, lung & liver metastases, and brain metastases.
- Describe how to use the PORi management system to provide a continuum of care across the primary phases of breast cancer treatment and into long term survivorship.
- Implement breast cancer-specific patient evaluations and design safe and appropriate breast cancer-specific plans of care according to evidence-based guidelines, screening systems, and clinical tests presented in the course.
- List four anatomical/physiological body systems to be included in the evaluation and treatment of oncology patients using the PORi Body Systems Approach.
- Effectively implement PORi’s Body Systems Approach to perform safe and effective rehabilitative treatment for patients with breast cancer across all phases of medical care, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and adjuvant treatment.
- Apply legislative and clinical frameworks for patients with breast cancer to advocate for the need for early prehabilitative and rehabilitative intervention to mitigate life-long sequelae of survivorship challenges.
- Demonstrate effective skilled care-based documentation of a patients with breast cancer undergoing multiple elements of acute, subacute, and chronic treatment phases, and how these fit into the US-based healthcare system and insurance-based outpatient/inpatient settings.
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Implement strategies and utilize tools aimed at ensuring a well-balanced therapist approach to breast cancer care that enhances wellness, resilience, and reduces risk of burnout onset among therapists working in oncology rehabilitation settings.
Pre-2018 PORi Certificate Holders
Any therapists that completed our pre-2018 PORi Certificate Program will have their PORi-Certification automatically converted to the Foundation in Oncology Rehabilitation plus the Breast Cancer Rehabilitation Therapist Course.
Instructor Disclosures:
Julia Osborne, PT, CLT-LANA
Julia Osborne, PT, CLT-LANA
- Financial Disclosure: Julia is the owner of PORi and receives financial compensation for teaching & developing PORi courses.
- Nonfinancial Disclosure: Julia has no relevant non-financial relationships to disclose.
Sarah Hahn, PT, DPT
- Financial Disclosure: Sarah receives financial compensation for teaching & developing PORi courses.
- Nonfinancial Disclosure: Sarah has no relevant non-financial relationships to disclose.
CEU Information
Physical Therapy
- This course is approved for 31 Contact Hours in 40+ States for Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants
- Please visit our CEU page for more information.
Occupational Therapy

Speech Language Pathology
- PORi is an accredited ASHA CEU provider but there are no CEU credits for the PORi Breast Cancer Rehabilitation Therapist course
PORi CORE: Breast Cancer Rehabilitation - Course Outline
Day 1 - 8hrs 30 mins
Morning
- PORi Patient Management System
- Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Afternoon
- Medical Management - Chemotherapy
- ER+ PR+ Breast Cancer
- Patient Video/Lab
Day 2 - 8hrs 30 mins
Morning
- HER2+ Breast Cancer
- Triple Negative Breast Cancer
Afternoon
- Patient Video/Lab
- Other Breast Cancer Diagnoses
- Medical Management - Radiation
- Medical Management - Surgery
Day 3 - 8hrs 30 mins
Morning
- Medical Management - Surgery
- Patient Video/Lab
Afternoon
- Management of the Lymphatic System
- PORi Treatment Concepts & Guidelines
- Disease Progression - Oncologic Emergencies
- Patient Video/Lab
Day 4 - 5hrs 30 mins
Morning
- Workshop
- Documentation Guidelines
- Participant Competency - Patient A
- Participant Competency - Patient B
- Patient Video/Lab
Course Assessment & Survey
- Written Exam (to be taken within 7 days)
- Course Survey
- CEUs issued after successful completion of exam and course survey

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