Prehabilitation Program for Cancer Patients

This pilot health services interventional study aims to prospectively assess the effectiveness of a pre-treatment rehabilitation (prehabilitation) program across a diverse cohort of adult cancer patients via a randomized pilot trial. Upon screening and identification of high-risk features through a central navigation process, patients referred to oncology clinics will be approached to participate in tailored prehabilitation interventions. The study will track and analyze functional outcomes and quality of life aiming to demonstrate the comprehensive benefits of prehabilitation on the cancer treatment continuum. We hypothesize that this referral program is feasible and that those randomized to the intervention arm will have superior functional outcomes and global health-related quality of life. The rationale for this study is anchored in the urgent need to optimize the cancer care trajectory for high-risk patients whose treatment outcomes and quality of life are jeopardized by the multifaceted challenges of their disease. While prehabilitation has shown potential to mitigate these adverse effects, the optimal methods for identifying and connecting these high-risk individuals to appropriate prehabilitation resources remain underexplored. This study, with its systematic approach to enrolling a diverse adult cancer population, endeavors to investigate not only the benefits of prehabilitation interventions but also the effectiveness of a targeted referral process. By doing so, it aims to uncover novel strategies for efficiently allocating prehabilitation resources, thereby enhancing the precision and impact of supportive cancer care.