Prehabilitation Consultation on Self-Care and Physical Exercise in Patients Diagnosed with Abdominopelvic Cancer: Protocol of the Study

Abstract

Background: Introduction: Prehabilitation in the field of oncology has been defined as “the process in the continuum of care that occurs between diagnosis and the start of treatment involving physical and psychological measures that determine the patient’s baseline functional status.” Aim: To determine the effectiveness of a Prehabilitation consultation on self-care and targeted physical exercise for patients diagnosed with abdominopelvic cancer. Design: An observational study that will evaluate the pre-post efficacy of an ad-hoc designed Prehabilitation intervention. The study population consists of patients diagnosed with colon or gynecological cancer with a surgical indication as part of their therapeutic plan from the General Surgery Services. It is configured around four key interventions: (a) health education and self-care, (b) specific nutritional counseling, (c) initial psychological assessment, and (d) directed physical exercise intervention. Health education, self-care interventions, and physical exercise will be carried out weekly from diagnosis to the scheduled surgery day. Results: Aspects such as self-care capacity or agency, perioperative anxiety, aerobic capacity, strength and flexibility, postoperative complications, and recovery time to adjuvant treatment will be measured using tools such as Appraisal of self-care agency scale (ASA), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), walking test, sit and Reach, Hand Grip or Squad Jump. Conclusion: Utilizing validated tools for analyzing selected variables will contribute to refining and expanding care guidelines, ultimately enhancing support for both patients and their caregivers.