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An allied health rehabilitation program for patients following surgery for abdomino-pelvic cancer: a feasibility and pilot clinical study

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Abstract

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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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.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiotherapy, School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Science, Monash University, 47 – 49 Moorooduc Highway, PO Box 527, Frankston, Victoria, 3199, Australia

    Helena C. Frawley & Kuan-Yin Lin

  2. Centre for Allied Health Research and Education, Cabrini Institute, 154 Wattletree Road, Malvern, Victoria, 3144, Australia

    Helena C. Frawley & Kuan-Yin Lin

  3. Department of Physical Therapy, National Cheng Kung University, No.1, Ta-Hsueh Road, Tainan, 701, Taiwan

    Kuan-Yin Lin, Rosemary Higgins & Linda Denehy

  4. Department of Physiotherapy, The University of Melbourne, 161 Barry Street, Carlton, Victoria, 3053, Australia

    Catherine L. Granger

  5. Department of Physiotherapy, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, 300 Grattan Street, Parkville, Victoria, 3050, Australia

    Catherine L. Granger

  6. Australian Centre for Heart Health, 75-79 Chetwynd Street, North Melbourne, Victoria, 3051, Australia

    Rosemary Higgins

  7. Alpha Crucis Group, P.O. Box 4103, Langwarrin, Victoria, 3910, Australia

    Michael Butler

  8. Cancer Allied Health Service, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan St, Melbourne, 3000, Australia

    Linda Denehy

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  1. Helena C. Frawley
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Correspondence to Helena C. Frawley.

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Frawley, H.C., Lin, KY., Granger, C.L. et al. An allied health rehabilitation program for patients following surgery for abdomino-pelvic cancer: a feasibility and pilot clinical study. Support Care Cancer 28, 1335–1350 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-019-04931-w

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