Multiphasic exercise prehabilitation for patients undergoing surgery for head and neck cancer: a hybrid...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Surgical Care

Background:

• Head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment, often surgery plus adjuvant therapy, leads to side effects impacting physical function and quality of life.
• Perioperative nutrition and early mobilization aid recovery, but prehabilitation including exercise is understudied in HNC surgical pathways.
• A gap exists in integrating structured exercise interventions into the HNC surgical care pathway.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the benefits of a multiphasic exercise prehabilitation intervention on physical function and patient-reported outcomes in HNC patients.
• To assess the safety and feasibility of implementing this prehabilitation program.
• To establish a post-operative pathway for exercise oncology referrals.

Main Methods:

• Hybrid effectiveness-implementation study design guided by the RE-AIM framework.
• Development of a multiphasic exercise prehabilitation intervention for HNC patients undergoing free flap reconstruction.
• Assessment of physical function, patient-reported outcomes, safety, feasibility, and implementation processes.

Main Results:

• This section will report findings on intervention benefits, safety, feasibility, and implementation outcomes.
• Results will inform the integration of exercise prehabilitation into HNC surgical care.
• Data will support the establishment of post-operative exercise referral pathways.

Conclusions:

• Evidence will be provided on the benefits and costs of exercise prehabilitation within the HNC surgical pathway.
• The study aims to optimize recovery and quality of life for HNC patients.
• Findings will guide the broader implementation of exercise oncology interventions.