IPT-HOPE Quarterly Newsletter

Spring 2026

IPT HOPE Message from the President

From Jacqueline Drouin, PT, PhD

Best Wishes this Spring 2026!

This has been an exciting and productive quarter for IPT-HOPE with many significant accomplishments in research, education, conferences, and meetings described in the following newsletter. I would like to highlight the following:

– Congratulations to Helena Silman-Cohen (Israel), Mary-Anne Dalzell (Canada), Michael Shermer (Netherlands), and all of our distinguished speakers on the completion of our first Global online Oncology Rehabilitation Course. A second course will be offered later in this year.

– Welcome to our new Member Organization: Chile. We are very happy that you are joining us in our work and projects.

– Special Recognition to Amy Dennett (Australia), our Research Lead, and her early career research fellows, Karol Ramirez (Chile) and Aminate Abolade (Nigeria), for their upcoming investigative research work.

– Commendations to the organizers, presenters and attendees at the 2026 ICPT/IPT-HOPE in Dublin Ireland Conference and the 2026 WP European Region Congress in Madrid Spain.

Warm regards!

Jacqueline S. Drouin, PT, PhD

from Amy Dennett, PT, PhD

The start of 2026 has commenced with a hive of activity for our members.

Our early career research fellows Karol Ramirez (Chile) and Aminate Abolade (Nigeria) have been successful in receiving ethics approval for their project: Feasibility of an online international training program for physiotherapists working in cancer care which is an evaluation of our inaugural IPT-HOPE oncology physiotherapy international course. This research will include a pre-post survey over a 6-month period to determine acceptability, practicality, demand, implementation considerations, and limited efficacy of the course. 

If you are a current participant of the course, please complete the baseline survey contact Amy Dennett: a.dennett@latrobe.edu.au

Member spotlight:  Jo Bayly – Palliative Care Research Lead

Dr Jo Bayly, our IPT-HOPE Palliative Care Research lead, is a key member of the INSPIRE group leading a world first trial of personalized palliative rehabilitation.

Individuals with advanced cancer can experience loss of function, disability, and lower quality of life while enduring their illnesses. These disease-related changes can often be under addressed in their care, contributing to difficulties engaging in everyday activities and overall loss of independence. The INSPIRE project, an EU-funded project under Horizon Europe, seeks to address these concerns by testing a palliative rehabilitation approach within a randomised controlled trial. This approach emphasises personalised goal setting and prioritisation of the participant’s concerns through engagement with rehabilitation practitioners from allied healthcare fields, including physiotherapists and occupational therapists.

The INSPIRE short-term rehabilitative palliative care intervention is currently being delivered in six European countries (Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Italy, Norway, and the UK). As of 5th February 2026, we had recruited 341 participants, achieving the recruitment target of n = 340.  The trial is now closed to recruitment and results will be disseminated later in 2026. Overall, the trial will examine whether the INSPIRE intervention may be a clinically- and cost-effective option to improve quality of life for individuals with advanced cancer.

To find out more about Inspire, check out their website https://palliativeprojects.eu/inspire/

World Physiotherapy Congress 2027

The World Physical Therapy Congress preparation is well underway, with abstracts recently closing for Focussed Symposia. It will be hosted by AMEFI Colegio Nacional de Fisioterapia/Mexican Association of Physiotherapy.

Call for Abstracts will be open in June, so please keep an eye out. 

If you require support for abstract preparation, please let us know. 

Contact: a.dennett@latrobe.edu.au

Calling for collaborators:

Physiotherapists from Portuguese Institute of Oncology, in Lisbon are looking for collaborators for a multi-centre European study on Quality of Life in Older Adults with Advanced Cancer Undergoing Physiotherapy Treatment. This project will evaluate the effectiveness of physiotherapy interventions in improving quality of life, functional capacity, and symptom control in older adults with advanced cancer. If you are interested, please contact our liaison Leonor Marques for more information.

fmmarques.leonor@gmail.com

We would like to highlight research from member organisations and help support early and mid-career researchers. If you would like to highlight any of your research related to oncology, paediatric oncology, lymphoedema, HIV/AIDS or palliative care, please contact me at a.dennett@latrobe.edu.au or interact with our Linked in page at  https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9149025/ 

Upcoming conferences:

MASCC June 25-27, 2026 Melbourne Australia

World Physiotherapy (WP) 14-16 May 2027, in Guadalajara, Mexico

World Physiotherapy Region Conferences

• South America region conference

17–18 April 2026 | Punta del Este, Uruguay

View the programme

Register here

• Africa region conference

5-6 June 2026 | Kigali, Rwanda

View the programme

Register here – advanced rate available until 20 May

• Asia Western Pacific region conference

26-27 September 2026 | New Delhi, India

Register here – final few days to register at advance rate before 31 March

Submit an abstract – submission deadline: 30 April

• Europe region conference

5-6 November 2026 | Madrid, Spain

Register here – early bird rate available until 15 July

Submit an abstract – deadline extended until 9 April

Recent publications from members

Tan GA, Peiris CL, Taylor NF, Harding KE, Dennett AM, Finding the right time to initiate exercise rehabilitation following a cancer diagnosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis, Physiotherapy, 2026, 101876 (Australia)

Brennan L, Sheill G, Collier S, Browne P, Donohoe C, Guinan E. Personalised exercise rehabilitation in cancer survivorship: Findings from a triage and referral feasibility study. J Cancer Surviv. 2026 Apr;20(2):752-765. doi: 10.1007/s11764-024-01684-2. Epub 2024 (Ireland)

Buitenhuis MB, Gane EM, Hidding JT, de Rooij JD, Bramer WM, de Bree R, Speksnijder CM. The diagnostic accuracy of soft tissue oedema measurements: a systematic review and best-evidence synthesis. Support Care Cancer. 2026 Mar 5;34(3):281. doi: 10.1007/s00520-026-10373-y. (Netherlands)

De Nys L … Adriaenssens N et al Body composition and physical activity as predictors of immune‑related adverse events in patients undergoing cancer immunotherapy: a systematic review. 2026 Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy, Feb 2026 doi: 10.1080/14737140.2026.2625780  (Belgium)

Guido G…Jordão S… et al.  AdMiRE Study: Development and Validation of a WHO‑aligned Tool to Assess Healthcare Access and Antibiotic Use Among Migrant Populations in Europe 2026 – A Multicountry Delphi and Psychometric Study on behalf of the ESGITM group. 2026 CMI Communications, doi.org/10.1016/j.cmicom.2026.105184

ICPTO April 17-18, Dublin, Ireland

Another key event for 2026 was the International Research Conference for Physiotherapists in Oncology (ICPTO) which was held in 

Dublin, Ireland on April 17 &18.

ICPTO brought together physiotherapists from around the world to exchange knowledge, share best practices, and discuss the latest scientific advancements in oncology physiotherapy. The overall theme of the 2026 conference was: ‘Promoting excellence in oncology physiotherapy in the modern era’

The programme included plenary sessions, focused symposia, and practical workshops on the evolving roles of physiotherapy in oncology, with a focus on:

Innovative technologies in cancer rehabilitation,

1. Innovative technologies in cancer rehabilitation,
2. Policy and advocacy challenges, including diversity and inclusion,
3. Managing musculoskeletal sequelae of cancer treatments, and
4. Translating knowledge into clinical practice.

Abstracts from the conference were published in an upcoming issue of Rehabilitation Oncology Journal. We look forward to reporting back on highlights of the conference in our next edition. For more information, please contact Amy Dennett. a.dennett@latrobe.edu.au

Rehabilitation Oncology

Member countries and Special Interest Groups

WEBINAR TOPIC

A Rehabilitation Lens on Cancer Related Fatigue

📅  Date

Saturday, June 6th, 2026

🕐  Time Zones

13:30 GMT  |  15:30 CET  |  08:30 CT

09:30 EST  |  16:30 EET

SPEAKER

Naomi Dolgoy, OT, PhD

Assistant Professor in Occupational Therapy at the University of Alberta and Occupational Therapist with Alberta Health Services and Cancer Care Alberta. Certified Lymphatic Therapist and holder of a Doctorate and Post-Doctoral Fellowship from the University of Alberta. Her clinical research focuses on implementation science and functional outcomes after cancer diagnosis.

ABOUT THIS SESSION

Cancer Related Fatigue (CRF) is a highly prevalent issue, negatively impacting many individuals living with cancer. The mechanisms and symptoms of CRF are wide reaching, vary in presentation, and can persist years after cancer and its treatments — making it challenging to diagnose and treat.

Rehabilitation professionals are well positioned to support individuals managing CRF. This session offers an overview of current research and multidimensional approaches to CRF from a rehabilitation perspective, exploring physical, functional, cognitive, psychosocial and emotional domains.

Join via Zoom

Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87311748360?pwd=v000cdqYwe6ta7an4Sn3thtxUO6MsN.1

Meeting ID: 873 1174 8360      Passcode: 553287

Jerusalem Time: Saturday, June 6, 2026 at 16:30

WCPT – IPT – HOPE  ·  Oncology Special Interest Group  ·  2026