Prehabilitation in High-risk Oncologic Surgery

Summary

The goal of this clinical study is to learn whether a prehabilitation program can improve recovery after major abdominal surgery in adults with cancer who are receiving treatment before surgery. Prehabilitation is supportive care given before surgery to help patients prepare physically, nutritionally, and emotionally.

The main questions this study aims to answer are:

1. Does prehabilitation reduce the number of participants who die or have serious complications within 30 days after surgery?
2. Does prehabilitation improve physical strength and fitness, nutritional status, emotional well-being, and quality of life before surgery?
3. Does prehabilitation affect the length of the hospital stay after surgery, the time it takes to start additional cancer treatment after surgery, or the ability to complete recommended additional treatment?

Participants will take part in a prehabilitation program during their treatment period before surgery. The program includes visits with physical therapy, nutrition, and health psychology. Participants will meet with each specialty at least twice before surgery. They will also complete questionnaires and tests that measure physical function, diet and weight, emotional well-being, and quality of life. After surgery, information about recovery and additional cancer treatment will be collected from medical records for up to 120 days.

Researchers will compare the outcomes of participants who receive the prehabilitation program with outcomes from similar patients who previously received care at Fox Chase Cancer Center but did not participate in this study.

Conditions

• Pancreatic Cancer
• Colo-rectal Cancer
• Gastric Cancer
• Esophageal Cancer
• Bladder Cancer
• Ovarian Cancer
• Abdominal Surgery Complications

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Multidisciplinary Prehabilitation Program

A multidisciplinary prehabilitation program delivered during neoadjuvant therapy before planned high-risk abdominal oncologic surgery. The program includes physical therapy, nutrition, and health psychology support, with approximately monthly visits and at least two visits with each specialty before surgery. Physical therapy includes an individualized home strengthening and aerobic exercise program supported by resistance bands, a pedometer, and an exercise log. Nutrition includes individualized dietary counseling focused on maintaining weight and meeting protein needs, with oral nutritional supplementation when clinically indicated. Health psychology includes assessment, supportive care planning, and referral to additional psychosocial resources when needed. The intervention is completed before surgery; postoperative data collection is for follow-up only.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Fox Chase Cancer Center

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Stephanie Gzreco, MD · Fox Chase Cancer Center

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-06-15

Primary Completion

2029-12-15

Completion

2030-03-15