Criteria for the use of physical medicine and rehabilitation in the management of cancer patients

Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PMR) cares are limited in practice in France. The complexity of treatments and their potential effects on disability, life expectancy, constitute some chronic factors of the cancer diseases. This chronic evolution is more and more indication of PMR interventions to limit deficiency or disability. To present the PMR modalities at different situations of the cancer diseases evolutions. This paper reports the orientation in our outpatient unit, the modalities for cares in PMR, the role of PMR doctors and the different technological or competent needs for cancer patients with deficiency or disability. A new and important reflexion with information, studies and acquired experiences are necessary. Organization of cares, institutions and cooperation must be developed in this specific domain of the rehabilitation for cancer patients with disability.