title: Rehabilitation: long-term physical and functional changes following treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the life altering issues that survivors of a head and neck cancer report post treatment and discuss multidimensional rehabilitation approaches.
  
  
  METHODS
  Published journal articles, literature reviews, research reports, book chapters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Survivors and their family caregivers encounter many changes during the first 3 months following treatment for head and neck cancer, placing them at risk of multiple adjustment difficulties. Progressive weight loss, loss of energy, strength, muscle endurance and decreased functioning severely compromise healthy adjustment and quality of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nurses can help patients and family identify survivorship issues to be managed at home. Planning, exploring, coaching, practicing skills with survivors and their family caregivers, providing specific information, and linking them with resources can help them bridge this transition into extended survivorship.
authors.affiliation: McGill University Health Centre, Royal Victoria Hospital site, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. margaret.eades@muhc.mcgill.ca
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eades
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chasen
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bhargava
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery; D004435:Eating; D005221:Fatigue; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D010146:Pain; D010807:Physical Endurance; D011788:Quality of Life; D013060:Speech; D015996:Survival Rate; D015431:Weight Loss