About Us
About Cancer Rehab and Recovery
Cancer Rehab and Recovery offers telehealth (Australia wide) and home visit exercise physiology services (selected Melbourne suburbs), specialising in cancer rehabilitation. With nearly 20 years’ experience across clinical and research roles, Emma provides personalised, evidence-based care to support individuals through treatment, recovery, and long-term survivorship.
Providing specialised care for your cancer rehabilitation needs
Emma Sansalone
Accredited Exercise Physiologist | Researcher
Emma is a dedicated clinician-researcher working both in research and as an Accredited Exercise Physiologist, with a strong focus on cancer treatment and recovery.
She provides both in-person consultations in Melbourne and virtual care across Australia and New Zealand, ensuring evidence-based rehabilitation is accessible to all patients.
As an expert in Exercise Oncology, Emma supports patients through cancer treatment, rehabilitation, and survivorship programs, including fatigue management and post-surgical recovery. Her clinical work is informed by research, ensuring patients benefit from the latest evidence in exercise medicine.
Emma leads research at the University of Newcastle, School of Medicine and Public Health, and the Hunter Medical Research Institute, focusing on digital health interventions to support cancer patients before and after surgery. Her work has contributed to improved surgical recovery, enhanced patient function and well-being, and has informed international programs in related clinical areas.
Research Interests:
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Exercise Medicine & Exercise Oncology
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Cancer Treatment, Rehabilitation & Recovery
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Cancer Care Pathways
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Digital Health Interventions
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Surgical & Perioperative Care
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Health Behaviour Change
Emma collaborates with universities, cancer organisations, and digital health companies to advance evidence-based exercise oncology, improve survivorship pathways, and equip clinicians with research-informed skills. She is committed to translating research into clinical practice and improving outcomes for cancer survivors.
Emma welcomes professional enquiries and collaborations from clinicians, researchers, and organisations interested in enhancing survivorship care and evidence-based cancer rehabilitation.
Publications
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Study protocol of a pilot randomised controlled trial assessing the feasibility and acceptability of RecoverEsupport: a digital health intervention to enhance recovery in women undergoing surgery for breast cancer, BMJ Open 2025; DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-093869
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Acceptability of the RecoverEsupport Digital Health Intervention Among Patients Undergoing Breast Cancer Surgery: Qualitative Study JMIR 2025; DOI: 10.2196/7756
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Digital Health Interventions targeting patient-led ERAS behaviours across Perioperative Care Pathways: A Systematic Review (under review)
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Sansalone E, Forbes E, Palazzi-Parsons A, Zucca A, Duncan MJ, Morris OJ, Smith S, Chenery R, Moore H, Sugono L, Viana Da Silva P, Wyse R. The Feasibility and Acceptability of RecoverEsupport: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial of a Digital Health Intervention to Support Recovery After Breast Cancer Surgery. JMIR Preprints. 21/12/2025:90063 DOI: 10.2196/preprints.90063 URL: https://preprints.jmir.org/preprint/90063
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSE
Exercise and Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN) is an online professional development course developed for health and allied health professionals working with people affected by cancer, including Accredited Exercise Physiologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, cancer care nurses, and other clinicians involved in rehabilitation, supportive care, and survivorship.
This course provides a comprehensive overview of the pathophysiology and clinical presentation of CIPN, including sensory, motor, and functional impairments affecting both the upper and lower limbs. It explores current evidence and guideline-based recommendations for exercise and movement-based interventions as supportive strategies to manage CIPN symptoms, improve function, and reduce fall risk.
The course is relevant to clinicians working across acute oncology, outpatient and community rehabilitation, private practice, and survivorship settings, and is designed to support safe, evidence-informed clinical decision-making within individual scopes of practice.
The course covers clinical assessment considerations, safety precautions, and practical exercise prescription strategies, with a strong emphasis on task-specific, function-focused interventions rather than symptom elimination. Upper and lower limb–specific exercise examples are presented, alongside real-world case studies to support translation into clinical practice.
This program is recognised as 6 hours of continuing professional development.
We hope you enjoy your learning experience with Cancer Rehab and Recovery!