Cancer prehabilitation—a short review

Abstract

SummaryCancer prehabilitation uses the pretreatment time period to prevent a treatment-related functional decline and its subsequent consequences, and therefore occurs between the time of cancer diagnosis and the beginning of acute cancer treatment. This intervention has been shown to improve functional status, physical and psychological health outcomes and decrease overall health care costs. Currently there are several unimodal and one multimodal cancer prehabilitation regimens. Unimodal cancer prehabilitation includes exercise only, and multimodal cancer prehabilitation regimens are combinations of different interventions such as exercise, patient information and education, nutrition, psychologic counseling such as psycho-oncology, smoking cessation and reduction of alcohol consumption. Both approaches have the goal to improve physical capacity and mental health and to enable cancer patients to cope with the upcoming stress of the specific cancer-related treatment they need. Furthermore, cancer prehabilitation can support cancer patients to better participate in cancer rehabilitation after cancer treatment and maintain their ability to engage in premorbid activities. A growing body of scientific evidence confirms the importance of cancer prehabilitation. Further research is needed to study effectiveness and efficiency as well as clinical aspects of unimodal and multimodal cancer prehabilitation interventions.

Prehabilitation in the cancer care continuum

“…Several years ago, the term of "prehabilitation" was implemented to describe an intervention before starting cancer treatment during the pretreatment period with the aim to improve the functional status of patients just diagnosed with cancer [1][2][3][4].…”

“…The concept of prehabilitation is a modern strategy in the continuum of cancer care with the power to improve the functional status of cancer patients leading to reduced morbidity due to reduction of post-treatment (for example postoperative) complications and due to increased ability to obtain necessary cancer treatment, namely better tolerance of necessary cancer treatments (for example surgery, radiation, chemotherapy completion rates). Furthermore, prehabilitation could be used with the intention to improve compliance concerning rehabilitation efforts during (early rehabilitation in hospital) and after cancer treatment, namely inpatient and outpatient cancer rehabilitation in specialized cancer rehabilitation centers [1][2][3]. The concept of prehabilitation enables cancer patients to become proactive during the pretreatment period in order to actively improve their health outcomes [1,3].…”

“…Furthermore, prehabilitation could be used with the intention to improve compliance concerning rehabilitation efforts during (early rehabilitation in hospital) and after cancer treatment, namely inpatient and outpatient cancer rehabilitation in specialized cancer rehabilitation centers [1][2][3]. The concept of prehabilitation enables cancer patients to become proactive during the pretreatment period in order to actively improve their health outcomes [1,3]. Besides the prevention of complications of necessary cancer treatment, prehabilitation has been shown to reduce length of hospital stays [1][2][3][4].…”

“…The concept of prehabilitation enables cancer patients to become proactive during the pretreatment period in order to actively improve their health outcomes [1,3]. Besides the prevention of complications of necessary cancer treatment, prehabilitation has been shown to reduce length of hospital stays [1][2][3][4].…”

“…Prehabilitation concepts can be either unimodal or multimodal. The unimodal approach of prehabilitation is the application of different forms of exercise alone [1,5]. Regular exercise leads to a better functional capacity, which is the basis of improved functional status with the result of reduced post treatment complications and morbidity.…”