Prehabilitation program improves preop fitness in colon cancer patients

Editor's Note

Engaging colon cancer patients in a prehabilitation program 4 weeks before surgery modified exercise behaviors and improved physical function, which improved postoperative outcomes, finds this study.

Researchers randomized 116 patients to either a prehabilitation program (57 patients) or a control group (59 patients).

After 4 weeks, compared with controls, patients in the prehabilitation program:

• had increased their moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity physical activities
• showed greater improvement in the 6-minute walk test
• met physical activity guidelines at the time of surgery.

The study’s findings highlight the positive effects of a prehabilitation program on physical activity levels and functional walking capacity and show that improvements can be achieved in 4 weeks, the researchers note.

High complication rates following colorectal surgery render many patients unable to fully regain functional capacity, thus seriously compromising quality of life. The aim of this study was to assess w