Future Perspectives on Prehabilitation Interventions in Cancer Surgery

Future Perspectives on Prehabilitation Interventions in Cancer Surgery. Jensen BT, Baldini G. Seminars in Oncology Nursing. Epub 2022 Aug 12

What is already known:

Prehabilitation is an attractive component of improving patients perioperative outcomes, but the evidence of improved perioperative outcomes in those receiving prehabilitation is limited. Despite this, it continues to remain a key component of “moderate” recommendation grades in guidelines.

What this paper adds:

This paper explores the prehabilitation landscape, and the authors review key areas they deem to be “knowledge gaps”; smoking and alcohol excess, the geriatric syndrome, cognitive impairment including comprehensive geriatric assessments and frailty.

Whilst exploring these areas, they recommend the integration of prehabilitation strategies into enhanced recovery pathways. The authors also discuss the benefit of therapeutic delay to allow treatment of modifiable risk factors prior to proceeding with cancer surgery; reducing short term perioperative complications occurring as a consequence of improperly optimised patient.

Andy Kermode, Guildford