Optimizing prehabilitation in gynecologic malignancies: Improving acceptance, overcoming barriers, and managing program complexity

Physical Activity, Quality of Life, and Pelvic Floor Disorders Before and After Hysterectomy for Gynecological Cancer: A Prospective Cohort Study

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS

This study investigated physical activity (PA) levels and health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) before and after, and associations between pelvic floor disorders (PFD) and PA/HRQoL after, hysterectomy for gynecological cancer.

METHODS

Secondary analysis of a longitudinal cohort study, with assessments before, 6 weeks, and 3 months after hysterectomy for gynecological cancer. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire-short form was used to assess PA and European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Questionnaire-C30 (QLQ-C30) to assess HRQoL. Changes over time were analyzed using generalized estimating equations or linear mixed models. Associations between PFD with PA and HRQoL were analyzed using logistic regressions and analyses of variance.

RESULTS

Of 126 participants, median age 63 years, most had endometrial (69%) and/or stage 1 cancer (72%) and underwent total hysterectomy (65%). Pre-surgery, 39% met PA guidelines, increasing to 53% 3 months post-surgery (+14%, 95% CI 2-25). Mean global health status/QoL domain scores from the QLQ-C30 did not change significantly (+4.4/100 points, 95% CI -0.8 to 9.6). Three months post-surgery, whether participants met PA guidelines was not associated with PFD. Participants with anal incontinence or double incontinence had lower global health status/QoL scores than participants without these symptoms (mean (SD) AI 61.4 (17.8) vs no AI 72.5 (18.7), p = 0.006; DI 61.5 (17.9) vs no DI 71.7 (18.8), p = 0.019).

CONCLUSION

PA levels were low pre- and post-surgery but worse preoperatively. This presents an opportunity for prehabilitation interventions to optimize physical function. There was no association between meeting PA guidelines and PFD. Global health status/QoL was slightly below population norms pre- and post-surgery. Lower HRQoL was associated with some symptoms of PFD.

Multimodal Prehabilitation for Gynecologic Cancer Surgery

Surgical treatment is commonly employed to treat patients with gynecologic cancer, although surgery itself may function as a stressor, reducing the patients' functional capacity and recovery. Prehabilitation programs attempt to improve patients' overall health and baseline function prior to surgery, thereby enhancing recovery and lowering morbidity. In recent years, prehabilitation has come to primarily refer to multimodal programs that combine physical activity, nutritional support, psychological well-being, and other medical interventions. However, the specific methods of implementing prehabilitation and measuring its effectiveness are heterogeneous. Moreover, high-level evidence regarding prehabilitation in gynecologic cancer surgery is limited. This review provides a summary of multimodal prehabilitation studies in gynecologic oncologic surgery. Enhanced postoperative recovery, lower postoperative complications, lower rate of blood transfusions, and faster gastrointestinal functional recovery have been reported after multimodal prehabilitation interventions. Patients and healthcare professionals should recognize the importance of prehabilitation in the field of gynecologic oncologic treatment, based on the emerging evidence. In addition, there is a need to establish an appropriate target group and construct a well-designed and tailored prehabilitation program.