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Abstract
Introduction/Background Prehabilitation is an upcoming strategy to optimise patients’ functional capacity, nutritional status and psychosocial wellbeing in order to reduce surgical complications and enhance recovery. This study aims to assess the feasibility of implementing a multimodal prehabilitation program in the standard care of gynecological oncology patients at an academic oncology centre in the Netherlands in terms of recruitment and adherence. Feasibility was assessed by the number of patients eligible, recruitment rate, participation rate and adherence to and completion of the programmes’ individual modalities.
Methodology Data was derived from the prospective F4S PREHAB trial, a single centre stepped-wedge trial implementing a multimodal prehabilitation programme among all surgical specialties. All patients undergoing elective surgery as part of treatment for ovarian, uterine and vulvar cancer at the Radboudumc between May 2022 and September 2023 were considered eligible. The multimodal prehabilitation programme comprised a physical exercise intervention, a nutritional intervention, a psychological intervention and smoking cessation programme.
Results A total of 152 patients were eligible and approached for participation of which 111 patients consented to participate, resulting in a recruitment rate of 73%. On average, the programme lasted twenty days (range 7–62). Participants attended an average of six exercise sessions, with an adherence of 87%. Participants had on average two sessions with a dietician and respectively 93% and 96% adhered to the prescribed daily protein and vitamin suppletion. Daily protein intake increased from 1.01 g/kg bodyweight at baseline to 1.45 g/kg BW after prehabilitation (P<0.001). Ten participants were referred to a psychologist and completed consultations. Out of nine active smokers, three initiated the smoking cessation programme and two managed to quit smoking. A total of 59% adhered to alcohol cessation advise.
Conclusion This study demonstrates that introducing a multimodal prehabilitation programme into the standard care of gynaecological oncology patients is feasible in terms of recruitment and adherence.
Disclosures None to disclose.
