Staying in a hospital for weeks battling cancer is frightening. Adult cancer patients often feel vulnerable and unable to take charge of their own lives.

Oncology Recreation Therapy Program (ORT) is a prescription to turn these feelings around.

By giving patients opportunities to create, laugh, and play, the program puts a sense of choice and control back in their hands. ORT helps patients help themselves.

What Is Recreation Therapy?

Recreation therapy is an innovative type of psychosocial therapy that has emerged along with the technological advances in cancer treatment during the past two decades.

A recreation therapist uses a wide range of activities, interventions, and techniques to improve physical, cognitive, emotional, social functioning, and leisure needs of their clients.

The therapist works with these patients and families to develop skills based around identified interests to achieve optimal outcomes that transfer to their real life situations.

At Duke University Hospital, ORT matches the best medical care available with opportunities for socialization, education, and fun. ORT puts patients in a better frame of mind to be treated -- and helps them combat fear, fatigue, nausea, and sleeplessness.

The program uses activities to help patients and their families enjoy and employ their own creativity, humor, and personal drive in their fight against cancer. ORTservices are perfromed free of charge, an added benefit to comprehensive cancer treatment.