The Cancer Exercise Training Institute has been providing top-notch education for health and fitness professionals, interested in becoming the next step in the healthcare continuum and working with cancer patients during and after treatment, since 1995. The initial programming was developed with the assistance of the chief’s of breast surgery at Georgetown, George Washington, and Johns’ Hopkins University Medical Centers as well as a group of prestigious PT’s, OT’s, oncology nurses, and exercise physiologists. The original programming was presented under EMPOWER and the Breast Cancer Survivor’s Foundation, becoming the Cancer Exercise Training Institute in 2004.
We have earned the title “gold standard” by maintaining a top-notch medical advisory board and updating our educational materials every two years. Our Cancer Exercise Specialists are required to re-test every two years, following review of new and updated materials, to ensure competency and understanding of the latest research in oncology treatment and procedures. We are the only organization to maintain such rigorous standards. While this takes a huge commitment from our students, we are equally committed to ensuring their success.
Our amazing Medical Advisory Board includes the following professionals:
Original EMPOWER program –
Dr. Shawna Willey – Chief of Surgery Georgetown University Medical Center
Dr. Theodore Tsangaris Jr. – Surgical Director Breast Care Center Jefferson University Hospital
Supportive Programming 1996-2018 –
Dr. Glenn Gero – Board-Certified doctor of naturopathy, master herbalist, registered nutritionist, cancer exercise specialist, certified fitness trainer, and lifestyle coach.
Dr. Jay Harness – Breast Surgeon St. Joseph Hospital
Dr. Robert Ellis – Director of the Integrative Oncology Program of Northwest Kaiser Permanente Medical Group
Dr. Elizabeth Almli – Private practice physician and President and Fitness Director for The Tucson Cancer Conquerors,
Denise Stewart, OT
LaGary Carter, RN – Associate Professor and coordinator of the Exercise Physiology program at Valdosta State University.
Lynn Rosenzweig, PT
Keri-Ann de Gannes, CLT
This group of amazing medical and fitness professionals contributes to the ongoing content of the Cancer Exercise Specialist Handbook which is updated every two years to assure delivery of the most current and cutting-edge content to its’ readers.
We provide two directory listings (Cancer Exercise Specialist and MedFit ) to allow clients easy access to our qualified professionals. We also have a private Facebook group with regular interaction, videos, exercise programming, and webinars to regularly inform, educate, and inspire! Having a “title” doesn’t benefit anyone if no one knows about them, or how to locate them! The MedFit Network offers additional exposure through regular social media posting that highlights our Cancer Exercise Specialists through their cancer alliances.
In 2017/2018 we formed alliances with AAHF, ACE, CPTN, FLS,NFPT, PTAG, and WITS, offering three levels of training: Essentials, Introduction, and Advanced Qualification courses. We are grateful to our partners who have allowed us to reach a greater number of health and fitness professionals globally. We are proud to announce that there are now Cancer Exercise Specialists in Japan, Columbia, Jordan, Israel, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Trinidad, Ireland, Singapore, Lebanon, China, Canada, Puerto Rico, Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, India, and the United States.
If you would like to learn more about bringing the Cancer Exercise Specialist training to your club or spa, increasing your membership and personal training revenue, and making a huge difference in the lives of cancer patients and survivors near you, please contact
Andrea Leonard at 1-503-502-6776 or CETIguru@gmail.com.