Pelvic Health in Cancer Survivors

Published on: 01/19/26

Rachael McCall, PT, DPT, CLT

Dr. Rachael McCall is a physical therapist specializing in oncology rehabilitation and pelvic health. She became a Certified Lymphedema Therapist while working in outpatient orthopedics and later pursued specialized education in oncology and pelvic floor therapy. Driven by a passion for serving individuals with current or past cancer diagnoses, Dr. McCall is dedicated to improving quality of care and advocating for the integration of physical therapy as a central component in cancer treatment and recovery.

Presentation Summary:

In this presentation, Dr. McCall explains pelvic floor anatomy and its key roles in urinary, bowel, and sexual function. She outlines the impact of cancer treatment—including chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery—on pelvic floor health, highlighting symptoms such as incontinence, constipation, pelvic pressure, pain, and sexual dysfunction. Dr. McCall emphasizes that pelvic floor issues often go unrecognized, even though they significantly impair quality of life.

Her talk walks through a trauma-informed pelvic floor evaluation process, including both internal and external assessments, and individualized treatment plans. She details how physical therapy can relieve tension, strengthen muscles, and restore functional movement. She also discusses therapeutic tools such as dilators, pelvic wands, and dry needling, cautioning that these should be used under the guidance of a trained pelvic floor therapist. Dr. McCall’s core message is that effective referral and collaboration with pelvic floor PTs can dramatically improve the wellbeing of cancer survivors struggling with often-overlooked but treatable symptoms.