TY - JOUR
T1 - An allied health rehabilitation program for patients following surgery for abdomino-pelvic cancer
T2 - a feasibility and pilot clinical study
AU - Frawley, Helena C.
AU - Lin, Kuan Yin
AU - Granger, Catherine L.
AU - Higgins, Rosemary
AU - Butler, Michael
AU - Denehy, Linda
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank the participants, participating surgeons and the staff from Cabrini Health and the Centre for Allied Health Research and Education at Cabrini Institute for their contribution and assistance to the study. This study was supported by grant funding from the Cabrini Foundation and Cabrini Allied Health Department, Victoria, Australia.
Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank the participants, participating surgeons and the staff from Cabrini Health and the Centre for Allied Health Research and Education at Cabrini Institute for their contribution and assistance to the study. This study was supported by grant funding from the Cabrini Foundation and Cabrini Allied Health Department, Victoria, Australia.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
PY - 2020/3/1
Y1 - 2020/3/1
N2 - Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of conducting a rehabilitation program for patients following surgery for abdomino-pelvic cancer. Methods: A non-randomised controlled before-and-after study. Patients who had undergone surgery for stage I–III abdomino-pelvic cancer (colorectal, gynaecological or prostate cancer) were recruited. The rehabilitation group (n = 84) received an 8-week, bi-weekly education and exercise program conducted by a physiotherapist, exercise physiologist, health psychologist and dietician, supplemented by exercise diaries and telephone coaching sessions. The comparator group (n = 104) completed postal questionnaires only. Feasibility measures, functional exercise capacity, muscle strength, physical activity levels, pelvic floor symptoms, anxiety and depression, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and self-efficacy were measured at baseline (time 1), immediately post-intervention (time 2) and at 6 months post-baseline (time 3) and compared within- and between-groups. Results: The consent rate to the rehabilitation program was 24%. Eighty-one percent of the rehabilitation group attended 85–100% of 16 scheduled sessions. Overall satisfaction with the program was 96%. Functional exercise capacity, handgrip strength in males, bowel symptoms, physical activity levels, depression and HRQoL were significantly improved in the rehabilitation group (p < 0.05) at time 2. The improvements in all these outcomes were sustained at time 3. The rehabilitation group had significantly improved physical activity levels, depression and HRQoL compared with the comparator group at times 2 and 3 (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Recruitment to this oncology rehabilitation program was more difficult than expected; however, attendance and patient satisfaction were high. This program had positive effects on several important clinical outcomes in patients following abdomino-pelvic cancer treatment. Trial registration: ANZCTR 12614000580673.
AB - Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of conducting a rehabilitation program for patients following surgery for abdomino-pelvic cancer. Methods: A non-randomised controlled before-and-after study. Patients who had undergone surgery for stage I–III abdomino-pelvic cancer (colorectal, gynaecological or prostate cancer) were recruited. The rehabilitation group (n = 84) received an 8-week, bi-weekly education and exercise program conducted by a physiotherapist, exercise physiologist, health psychologist and dietician, supplemented by exercise diaries and telephone coaching sessions. The comparator group (n = 104) completed postal questionnaires only. Feasibility measures, functional exercise capacity, muscle strength, physical activity levels, pelvic floor symptoms, anxiety and depression, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and self-efficacy were measured at baseline (time 1), immediately post-intervention (time 2) and at 6 months post-baseline (time 3) and compared within- and between-groups. Results: The consent rate to the rehabilitation program was 24%. Eighty-one percent of the rehabilitation group attended 85–100% of 16 scheduled sessions. Overall satisfaction with the program was 96%. Functional exercise capacity, handgrip strength in males, bowel symptoms, physical activity levels, depression and HRQoL were significantly improved in the rehabilitation group (p < 0.05) at time 2. The improvements in all these outcomes were sustained at time 3. The rehabilitation group had significantly improved physical activity levels, depression and HRQoL compared with the comparator group at times 2 and 3 (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Recruitment to this oncology rehabilitation program was more difficult than expected; however, attendance and patient satisfaction were high. This program had positive effects on several important clinical outcomes in patients following abdomino-pelvic cancer treatment. Trial registration: ANZCTR 12614000580673.
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U2 - 10.1007/s00520-019-04931-w
DO - 10.1007/s00520-019-04931-w
M3 - Article
C2 - 31250182
AN - SCOPUS:85068340053
VL - 28
SP - 1335
EP - 1350
JO - Supportive Care in Cancer
JF - Supportive Care in Cancer
SN - 0941-4355
IS - 3
ER -
