Integrating cancer rehabilitation into medical care at a cancer hospital.

In spite of national health care legislative and model program initiatives, cancer rehabilitation has not kept pace with rehabilitation for patients with other medical problems. This article discusses, from a historical perspective, unsuccessful health care legislation related to cancer and problems in establishing and expanding cancer rehabilitation programs. The attempts to establish a cancer rehabilitation program at the Texas Medical Center and the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center are reviewed. Lessons learned over past 40 years and strategies for maintaining the success of a cancer rehabilitation program are discussed. Copyright 2001 American Cancer Society.