Montreal program helps young cancer survivors regain strength

A new program is helping young cancer survivors in Montreal rebuild their lives after chemotherapy — one workout at a time.

Led by Dr. Ramy Saleh, a medical oncologist at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), the program is designed to support recovery through supervised physical activity and therapeutic care. It also addresses a commonly overlooked challenge faced by many survivors: post-treatment isolation.

Addressing post-treatment isolation

For patients aged 16 to 40, chemotherapy can be isolating. Physical changes such as hair loss, muscle loss, and weight fluctuations can take a toll on confidence — and those effects often linger long after treatment ends.

“Most of the time we focus on cancer and medications… what we tend to not focus on is how do they reintegrate back into