research
Supporting research for oncology rehabilitation
Silver JK. Cancer prehabilitation and its role in improving health outcomes and reducing health care costs. Semin Oncol Nurs. 2015;31(1):13-30.
Establishing a baseline status at diagnosis provides an opportunity to gain insight into the burden that cancer and its treatment can place on survivors with respect to physical and psychological impairments, function, and disability. Targeted interventions may reduce the incidence and/or severity of future impairments that often lead to reduced surgical complications, hospital lengths of stay, hospital readmissions, and overall health care costs. Thus, cancer prehabilitation is an opportunity to positively impact patient health-related and financial outcomes from diagnosis onward and, by decreasing the financial impact that cancer can have on individuals, may prove to be a sound investment for patients, hospitals, payers and society.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0749208114000898?via%3Dihub
Silver JK. Cancer rehabilitation and prehabilitation may reduce disability and early retirement. Cancer. 2014;120(14):2072-2076.
“...cancer prehabilitation and rehabilitation will become increasingly important in the prevention and/or reduction of physical and psychological sequelae that may lead to disability and early retirement in survivors. I predict that research will continue to demonstrate significant support for these interventions and that more oncologists and survivors will insist on this care. The “oncology-rehabilitation disconnect” will be replaced with rehabilitation as a standard part of the oncology care continuum. Cancer rehabilitation care will include dual-screening procedures to identify both physical and emotional problems early in the course of treatment when these issues are most easily addressed.”
https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.28713
Stout NL, Fu JB, Silver JK. Prehabilitation is the Gateway to Better Functional Outcomes for Individuals with Cancer. J Cancer Rehabil. 2021;4:283-286. PMID: 35048084; PMCID: PMC8765744.
This commentary article provides a brief history of the emergence of prehabilitation in cancer care delivery. It reviews the current evidence base and guidelines for prehabilitation, and offers insights for future implementation of this model as a standard in oncology care.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8765744/
Silver JK, Baima J, Mayer RS. Impairment-driven cancer rehabilitation: an essential component of quality care and survivorship. CA Cancer J Clin. 2013;63(5):295-317.
This study demonstrates that cancer survivors' HRQOL is more often influenced by physical issues than emotional problems. Approximately 1 of 4 cancer survivors reported poor physical health whereas only 1 of 10 reported poor mental health.
https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.3322/caac.21186
Thorsen L, Gjerset GM, Loge JH, et al. Cancer patients' needs for rehabilitation services. Acta Oncol. 2011; 50: 212- 222.
This study evaluated 1325 survivors of the 10 most prevalent cancers and found that 63% reported the need for at least one rehabilitation service, with physical therapy being the most frequently reported need (43%)
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/0284186X.2010.531050
Cheville AL, Beck LA, Petersen TL, Marks RS, Gamble GL. The detection and treatment of cancer-related functional problems in an outpatient setting. Support Care Cancer. 2009; 17: 61- 67.
A leading cause or perhaps even the leading cause of emotional distress in cancer survivors is physical disability. Banks et al investigated distress in cancer survivors and found that the major cause was disability. They concluded, “The risk of psychological distress in individuals with cancer relates much more strongly to their level of disability than it does to the cancer diagnosis itself.”
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00520-008-0461-x
Silver JK, Baima J, Newman R, Galantino ML, Shockney LD. Cancer rehabilitation may improve function in survivors and decrease the economic burden of cancer to individuals and society. Work. 2013;46(4):455-472.
Cancer survivors are less likely to be employed and take more sick leave than workers without a history of cancer. Pain, musculoskeletal issues, deconditioning, fatigue, balance, psychosocial issues, and lymphedema are most amenable to rehabilitation. Survivors are usually best served by a multidisciplinary rehabilitation care team comprising members who can address the myriad impairments affecting survivor function.
https://content.iospress.com/articles/work/wor01755
Wonders KY, Wise R, Ondreka D, Gratsch J. Cost Savings Analysis of Individualized Exercise Oncology Programs. Integr Cancer Ther. 2019;18:1534735419839466.
The results statistically demonstrate a positive effect of exercise oncology during cancer care in terms of reductions in overall cost per patient pre- to post-intervention. Individualized exercise oncology programs should be employed as part of the national standard of care for individuals living with cancer in order to improve patient outcome and reduce cost burden.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6446433/
Shackelford, Daniel & Brown, Jessica & Peterson, Brent & Schaffer, Jay & Hayward, Reid. (2017). The University of Northern Colorado Cancer Rehabilitation Institute Treadmill Protocol Accurately Measures VO2 peak in Cancer Survivors. International Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. 05. 10.4172/2155-9554.1000437.
The UNCCRI treadmill protocol offers a safe and alternative measure of VO2 peak for the cancer population.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322067317_The_University_of_Northern_Colorado_Cancer_Rehabilitation_Institute_Treadmill_Protocol_Accurately_Measures_VO2_peak_in_Cancer_Survivors
Establishing a baseline status at diagnosis provides an opportunity to gain insight into the burden that cancer and its treatment can place on survivors with respect to physical and psychological impairments, function, and disability. Targeted interventions may reduce the incidence and/or severity of future impairments that often lead to reduced surgical complications, hospital lengths of stay, hospital readmissions, and overall health care costs. Thus, cancer prehabilitation is an opportunity to positively impact patient health-related and financial outcomes from diagnosis onward and, by decreasing the financial impact that cancer can have on individuals, may prove to be a sound investment for patients, hospitals, payers and society.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0749208114000898?via%3Dihub
Silver JK. Cancer rehabilitation and prehabilitation may reduce disability and early retirement. Cancer. 2014;120(14):2072-2076.
“...cancer prehabilitation and rehabilitation will become increasingly important in the prevention and/or reduction of physical and psychological sequelae that may lead to disability and early retirement in survivors. I predict that research will continue to demonstrate significant support for these interventions and that more oncologists and survivors will insist on this care. The “oncology-rehabilitation disconnect” will be replaced with rehabilitation as a standard part of the oncology care continuum. Cancer rehabilitation care will include dual-screening procedures to identify both physical and emotional problems early in the course of treatment when these issues are most easily addressed.”
https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.28713
Stout NL, Fu JB, Silver JK. Prehabilitation is the Gateway to Better Functional Outcomes for Individuals with Cancer. J Cancer Rehabil. 2021;4:283-286. PMID: 35048084; PMCID: PMC8765744.
This commentary article provides a brief history of the emergence of prehabilitation in cancer care delivery. It reviews the current evidence base and guidelines for prehabilitation, and offers insights for future implementation of this model as a standard in oncology care.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8765744/
Silver JK, Baima J, Mayer RS. Impairment-driven cancer rehabilitation: an essential component of quality care and survivorship. CA Cancer J Clin. 2013;63(5):295-317.
This study demonstrates that cancer survivors' HRQOL is more often influenced by physical issues than emotional problems. Approximately 1 of 4 cancer survivors reported poor physical health whereas only 1 of 10 reported poor mental health.
https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.3322/caac.21186
Thorsen L, Gjerset GM, Loge JH, et al. Cancer patients' needs for rehabilitation services. Acta Oncol. 2011; 50: 212- 222.
This study evaluated 1325 survivors of the 10 most prevalent cancers and found that 63% reported the need for at least one rehabilitation service, with physical therapy being the most frequently reported need (43%)
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/0284186X.2010.531050
Cheville AL, Beck LA, Petersen TL, Marks RS, Gamble GL. The detection and treatment of cancer-related functional problems in an outpatient setting. Support Care Cancer. 2009; 17: 61- 67.
A leading cause or perhaps even the leading cause of emotional distress in cancer survivors is physical disability. Banks et al investigated distress in cancer survivors and found that the major cause was disability. They concluded, “The risk of psychological distress in individuals with cancer relates much more strongly to their level of disability than it does to the cancer diagnosis itself.”
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00520-008-0461-x
Silver JK, Baima J, Newman R, Galantino ML, Shockney LD. Cancer rehabilitation may improve function in survivors and decrease the economic burden of cancer to individuals and society. Work. 2013;46(4):455-472.
Cancer survivors are less likely to be employed and take more sick leave than workers without a history of cancer. Pain, musculoskeletal issues, deconditioning, fatigue, balance, psychosocial issues, and lymphedema are most amenable to rehabilitation. Survivors are usually best served by a multidisciplinary rehabilitation care team comprising members who can address the myriad impairments affecting survivor function.
https://content.iospress.com/articles/work/wor01755
Wonders KY, Wise R, Ondreka D, Gratsch J. Cost Savings Analysis of Individualized Exercise Oncology Programs. Integr Cancer Ther. 2019;18:1534735419839466.
The results statistically demonstrate a positive effect of exercise oncology during cancer care in terms of reductions in overall cost per patient pre- to post-intervention. Individualized exercise oncology programs should be employed as part of the national standard of care for individuals living with cancer in order to improve patient outcome and reduce cost burden.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6446433/
Shackelford, Daniel & Brown, Jessica & Peterson, Brent & Schaffer, Jay & Hayward, Reid. (2017). The University of Northern Colorado Cancer Rehabilitation Institute Treadmill Protocol Accurately Measures VO2 peak in Cancer Survivors. International Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. 05. 10.4172/2155-9554.1000437.
The UNCCRI treadmill protocol offers a safe and alternative measure of VO2 peak for the cancer population.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322067317_The_University_of_Northern_Colorado_Cancer_Rehabilitation_Institute_Treadmill_Protocol_Accurately_Measures_VO2_peak_in_Cancer_Survivors