Multimodal prehabilitation in colorectal cancer patients to improve functional capacity and reduce postoperative complications: the first international randomized controlled trial for multimodal prehabilitation

Multimodal prehabilitation program valuation for thoracic surgical patients

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Modifiable patient-related risk factors, such as physical, emotional, and cognitive frailty, poor nutritional status, sleep hygiene, anemia, alcohol abuse, and smoking reduce a patient's ability to effectively recover from the insult of surgery. Herein, we review the value of implementing a comprehensive prehabilitation program for patients undergoing thoracic surgery.

RECENT FINDINGS

Although prehabilitation is not a novel concept, recent evidence suggest that 4-6 weeks of prehabilitation prior to surgery is likely to increase a patient's preoperative functional status allowing patients to return to independence earlier after surgery. The value of a prehabilitation program can be determined using cost effectiveness analysis, cost-benefit analysis (CBA), cost-utility analysis (CUA), and cost-consequence analysis (CCA).

SUMMARY

It stands to reason that well designed prehabilitation programs can add value by improving quality metrics at a lower cost to our healthcare system. Definitive randomized trials are needed to confirm this notion.

Providing Leadership Through Patients as Partners: Improving Australian Colorectal Survivorship Care Through Perspectives from a Nurse Who Became a Cancer Patient

OBJECTIVE

To provide contemporary real-world, real-life insights into gaps in supportive care experiences for people affected by colorectal cancer. For the first time, this article includes a patient as a coauthor, with the aim to identify future priorities to improve care and recovery in colorectal cancer survivorship.

DATA SOURCES

Electronic databases, peer-reviewed literature, and real-life professional and personal experiences were used.

CONCLUSION

There are several problematic areas in providing supportive care for people affected by colorectal cancer that could be improved by wider access to colorectal specialist nurses, coordinated multidisciplinary teams, patient collaboration, linking survivorship care outcomes to national standards, and developing supported self-management care plans.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

A patient-led insight has underscored some fundamental failings in current service delivery among people affected by colorectal cancer. Partnering with consumers in research and service redesign is essential to stratify future priorities to optimize care and person-centered recovery.

Implementation of a comprehensive prehabilitation program for patients undergoing radical cystectomy

BACKGROUND

Coordinated preoperative optimization programs for radical cystectomy (RC) are limited and non-comprehensive. We evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of a coordinated, multi-faceted prehabilitation program for RC patients at a high-volume bladder cancer referral center.

METHODS

We performed a narrative literature review for prehabilitation in bladder cancer management as of December 1, 2020, with specific emphasis on examining higher-level evidence sources. We selected domains with the highest level of evidence and recruited a multidisciplinary team of experts to design our program. We implemented a comprehensive prehabilitation program with a pre-defined order set as standard of care for all patients undergoing RC beginning February 1, 2021. Demographic and clinicopathologic data were collected prospectively. Rates of adherence to the prehabilitation program services were analyzed using Stata version 13.

RESULTS

A total of 82 patients were enrolled between February - December 2021, of which 67 (81%) had undergone RC at data cutoff. Mean age was 68 years (SD 11) and 63 (76%) identified as male. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) was utilized in 48 (59%) patients. The mean Charlson Comorbidity Index was 3.8 (SD 2.3). 100% of patients were screened for malnutrition, with 82% consuming nutritional supplements. Fifty-two percent of patients attended physical therapy pre-op. The 30-day and 30- to 90-day rates of complications were 56% and 40%, respectively. Resource length of stay (RLOS) declined after implementation of prehabilitation.

CONCLUSIONS

Implementation of a comprehensive prehabilitation program at a high-volume bladder cancer referral center is feasible and has a modest effect on resource consumption and complications in our early experience.

Socioeconomic status influences participation in cancer prehabilitation and preparation for surgical recovery: A pooled retrospective analysis using a validated area-level socioeconomic status metric

BACKGROUND

Prehabilitation employs exercise, nutrition, and psychological interventions to optimize physiological status in preparation for surgery. First, we described the extent to which material deprivation index score (MDIS) influenced prehabilitation participation. Second, we evaluated the extent to which prehabilitation influenced recovery as compared to control.

METHODS

Pooled patient records from prospective multimodal prehabilitation studies in oncologic surgery were retrospectively examined. Patient postal codes were linked to their MDIS, a validated area-level socioeconomic status (SES) metric, as quintiles 1-5 (1 = highest SES). Functional capacity was evaluated with the 6-min walking test (6MWT) at baseline, before, and 8 weeks post-surgery. Influence of prehabilitation on length of hospital stay (LOS) was explored using generalized linear models with a negative binomial distribution adjusted for age, sex, surgical population, and MDIS.

RESULTS

Recruitment records were available from 2014 onwards, yielding 1013 eligible patients for prehabilitation participation with MDIS data. Fewer patients with a low SES enrolled (Q1:62% vs. Q5:47%; P = 0.01) and remained in prehabilitation studies (Q1: 59% vs. Q5: 45%; P = 0.07). Prehabilitation study records were available from 2008 onward, yielding 886 enrolled patients with MDIS data (n = 510 prehabilitation, n = 376 control). Preoperative 6MWT similarly improved by > 20 m in response to prehabilitation across SES strata (P < 0.05). Postoperative 6MWT could not be evaluated due to substantial missing data. Prehabilitation had a significant protective influence on LOS, as compared to control, in unadjusted and adjusted models [adjusted IRR:0.77 (95% CI:0.68 to 0.87; P < 0.001].

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest that prehabilitation is effective across all SES; however, participation across SES quintiles was not equal. Barriers to participation must be identified and addressed. Once these barriers are addressed, prehabilitation may reduce surgical disparities among SES.

Short-Term Outcomes of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) for Ankle Fracture Patients: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) has been successfully adopted for the improvement of medical quality and efficacy in many diseases, but the effect thereof for ankle fracture patients can vary. The aim of the present study was to explore the short-term postoperative outcomes of ERAS among ankle fracture patients.

METHODS

The present study was a retrospective cohort study conducted between January 2019 and May 2019. One hundred and sixty ankle fracture participations (58 males and 102 females, aged 41.71 ± 14.51 years) were included. The participants treated with open reduction and internal fixation were divided into two groups (non-ERAS vs. ERAS) depending on whether ERAS was applied. Postoperative outcomes included American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, length of stay (LOS), hospital cost, complications, and consumption of opioids. To assess the association between the groups and outcomes, generalized estimating equation (GEE) modeling and multivariable linear regression analysis were performed.

RESULTS

The average follow-up periods of the participations were 24 months postoperatively. No significant differences were detected between the non-ERAS group and ERAS group with respect to the demographic of patients in terms of gender, age, Danis-Weber classification of fracture, dislocation of ankle joint, and comorbidity (P > 0.05). Significant differences in terms of a higher AOFAS score were found in the ERAS group compared with the non-ERAS group (6.73, 95% CI, 5.10-8.37, p < 0.001) at 3 months postoperatively (PO3M) and (4.73, 95% CI, 3.02-6.45, p < 0.001) at 6 months postoperatively (PO6M). However, similar AOFAS scores were found at 12 months postoperatively (PO12M) (0.28, 95% CI, -0.32 to 0.89, P > 0.05) and at 24 months postoperatively (PO24M) (0.56, 95% CI, -0.07 to 1.19, P > 0.05). Additionally, the GEE analysis and group-by-time interaction of AOFAS score revealed that the ERAS protocol could facilitate faster recovery for ankle fracture patients, with higher PO3M and PO6M (both P < 0.05). At the same time, significant differences in terms of a shorter length of stay (-3.19, 95% CI, -4.33 to -2.04, P < 0.01) and less hospital cost (-6501.81, 95% CI, -10955.21 to -2048.42, P < 0.01) were found in the ERAS group compared with the non-ERAS group.

CONCLUSION

By reducing LOS and hospital cost, the ERAS protocol might improve the medical quality and efficacy. The present study can provide a realistic evaluation and comparison of the ERAS protocol among ankle fracture patients, and ultimately guide clinical decision making.

Genome-wide methylation profiling identifies a novel gene signature for patients with synchronous colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

There are no robust tools for the diagnosis of synchronous colorectal cancer (SyCRC). Herein, we developed the first methylation signature to identify and characterise patients with SyCRC.

METHODS

For biomarker discovery, we analysed the genome-wide methylation profiles of 16 SyCRC and 18 solitary colorectal cancer (SoCRC) specimens. We thereafter established a methylation signature risk-scoring model to identify SyCRC in an independent cohort of 38 SyCRC and 42 SoCRC patients. In addition, we evaluated the prognostic value of the identified methylation profile.

RESULTS

We identified six differentially methylated CpG probes/sites that distinguished SyCRC from SoCRC. In the validation cohort, we developed a methylation panel that identified patients with SyCRC from not only larger tumour (AUC = 0.91) but also the paired remaining tumour (AUC = 0.93). Moreover, high risk scores of our panel were associated with the development of metachronous CRC among patients with SyCRC (AUC = 0.87) and emerged as an independent predictor for relapse-free survival (hazard ratio = 2.72; 95% CI = 1.12-6.61). Furthermore, the risk stratification model which combined with clinical risk factors was a diagnostic predictor of recurrence (AUC = 0.90).

CONCLUSIONS

Our novel six-gene methylation panel robustly identifies patients with SyCRC, which has the clinical potential to improve the diagnosis and management of patients with CRC.

Functional Outcomes Following Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy: A Prospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Pre-operative physical status and its association with post-operative surgical outcomes is poorly understood in patients with peritoneal malignancy who undergo cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). The aims of this study were to determine the pre-operative physical function in patients having CRS-HIPEC and investigate the association between physical function and post-operative outcomes.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients undergoing CRS-HIPEC between 2017 and 2021 were recruited at a single quaternary referral hospital in Sydney, Australia. The primary physical function measures were the 6-min walk test (6MWT) and the five-times sit to stand test (5STS). Data were collected pre-operatively and at post-operative day 10, and were analysed according to pre-operative patient characteristics and post-operative outcomes such as length of hospital stay (LOS) and complications.

RESULTS

The cohort of patients that participated in functional assessments consisted of 234 patients, with a median age of 56 years. Patients having CRS-HIPEC performed worse on the 6MWT pre-operatively compared with the general Australian population (p < 0.001). Post-operatively, these patients experienced a further deterioration in 6MWT and 5STS performance and the degree of the post-operative decline in function was associated with post-operative morbidity. A higher level of pre-operative physical function was associated with shorter LOS and minor post-operative complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients who have undergone CRS-HIPEC were functionally impaired pre-operatively compared with the general population and experience a further deterioration of physical function post-operatively. A higher level of pre-operative physical function is associated with minor post-operative morbidity, which is highly relevant for pre-operative optimisation of patients with cancer.

Effect of short-term prehabilitation of older patients with colorectal cancer: A propensity score-matched analysis

Objective

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of short-term, hospital-based, supervised multimodal prehabilitation on elderly patients with colorectal cancer.

Methods

A single-center, retrospective study was conducted from October 2020 to December 2021, which included a total of 587 CRC patients who were scheduled to undergo radical resection. A propensity score-matching analysis was performed to reduce selection bias. All patients were treated within a standardized enhanced recovery pathway, and patients in the prehabilitation group received an additional supervised, short-term multimodal preoperative prehabilitation intervention. Short-term outcomes were compared between the two groups.

Results

Among the participants, 62 patients were excluded; 95 participants were included in the prehabilitation group and 430 in the non-prehabilitation group. After PSM analysis, 95 pairs of well-matched patients were included in the comparative study. Participants in the prehabilitation group had better preoperative functional capacity (402.78 m vs. 390.09 m, P<0.001), preoperative anxiety status (9% vs. 28%, P<0.001), time to first ambulation[25.0(8.0) hours vs. 28.0(12.4) hours, P=0.008], time to first flatus [39.0(22.0) hours vs. 47.7(34.0) hours, P=0.006], duration of the postoperative length of hospital stay [8.0(3.0) days vs. 10.0(5.0) days, P=0.007), and quality of life in terms of psychological dimensions at 1 month postoperatively [53.0(8.0) vs. 49.0(5.0), P<0.001].

Conclusion

The short-term, hospital-based, supervised multimodal prehabilitation is feasible with a high degree of compliance in older CRC patients, which improves their short-term clinical outcomes.

Improved Postoperative Outcomes after Prehabilitation for Colorectal Cancer Surgery in Older Patients: An Emulated Target Trial

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a multimodal prehabilitation program on perioperative outcomes in colorectal cancer patients with a higher postoperative complication risk, using an emulated target trial (ETT) design.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

An ETT design including overlap weighting based on propensity score was performed. The study consisted of all patients with newly diagnosed colorectal cancer (2016-2021), in a large nonacademic training hospital, who were candidate to elective colorectal cancer surgery and had a higher risk for postoperative complications defined by: age ≥ 65 years and or American Society of Anesthesiologists score III/IV. Intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol analyses were performed to evaluate the effect of prehabilitation compared with usual care on perioperative complications and length of stay (LOS).

RESULTS

Two hundred fifty-one patients were included: 128 in the usual care group and 123 patients in the prehabilitation group. In the ITT analysis, the number needed to treat to reduce one or more complications in one person was 4.2 (95% CI 2.6-10). Compared with patients in the usual care group, patients undergoing prehabilitation had a 55% lower comprehensive complication score (95% CI -71 to -32%). There was a 33% reduction (95% CI -44 to -18%) in LOS from 7 to 5 days.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed a clinically relevant reduction of complications and LOS after multimodal prehabilitation in patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery with a higher postoperative complication risk. The study methodology used may serve as an example for further larger multicenter comparative effectiveness research on prehabilitation.

Effect of Prehabilitation on Stoma Self-Care, Anxiety, Depression, and Quality of Life in Patients With Stomas: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

An intestinal stoma has severe psychosocial effects on patients.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to measure the effects of prehabilitation on stoma self-care, quality of life, anxiety, and depression levels.

DESIGN

This study was a a randomized controlled trial.

SETTINGS

Patients were allocated into 3 groups according to enterostomal management: group A (stoma marking and postoperative education), group B (marking and pre- and postoperative education), and group C (prehabilitation group) (marking and preoperative education with introduction of the stoma appliance preoperatively and postoperative education). A stoma care follow-up form, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and a stoma-specific quality-of-life questionnaire were used for evaluation.

PATIENTS

Patients who underwent colorectal surgery and fecal diversion at the Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey, between 2011 and 2016 were included.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome was the effect of stoma prehabilitation on self-care ability.

RESULTS

Two hundred forty patients were included in the study. The outcome of stoma self-care revealed that 24 patients (31.2%) in group A, 51 patients (78.5%) in group B, and 72 patients (94.7%) in group C could perform stoma care independently ( p < 0.001). Among patients with temporary stomas, group C had a better outcome than patients in groups A and B ( p < 0.001). There was no similar relationship among patients with permanent stomas. The prehabilitation group had fewer patients with anxiety and depression than the other groups. Among patients with temporary stomas, similar findings were found. No differences were found in either anxiety or depression among patients with permanent stomas. Stoma quality-of-life scores were significantly higher in the prehabilitation group ( p < 0.001). Among patients with temporary stomas, similar findings were found. There was no difference among those with permanent stoma.

LIMITATIONS

This was a single-center study of heterogeneous groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Prehabilitation facilitates stoma self-care, decreases predisposition to anxiety and depression and improves quality of life in patients with stomas. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/B918 .

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04692610.

EFECTO DE LA PREHABILITACIN EN EL AUTOCUIDADO, LA ANSIEDAD, LA DEPRESIN Y LA CALIDAD DE VIDA EN PACIENTES OSTOMIZADOS ENSAYO CONTROLADO ALEATORIO

ANTECEDENTES:Una estoma intestinal ejerce serios efectos psicosociales en los pacientes. La prehabilitación tiene el potencial de superar estos problemas.OBJETIVO:Este estudio tiene como objetivo medir los efectos de la prehabilitación en el autocuidado de la estoma, la calidad de vida, la ansiedad y los niveles de depresión.DISEÑO:Este estudio fue un ensayo aleatorio controlado ( ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04692610).AJUSTE:Los pacientes fueron distribuidos en 3 grupos según su manejo enterostomal: grupos A (marcación preoperatoria de la estoma, educación posoperatoria), B (marcación preoperatoria y educación preoperatoria y posoperatoria) y C (el grupo de pre habilitación con marcación preoperatoria y educación preoperatoria con introducción del paciente al aparato ostomal de manera preoperatoria y educación posoperatoria). Para la evaluación se utilizaron el formulario de seguimiento del cuidado de la estoma, la Escala Hospitalaria de Ansiedad y Depresión y un cuestionario específico de la estoma sobre la calidad de vida.PACIENTES:Se incluyeron pacientes que fueron sometidos a cirugía colorrectal y derivación fecal en la Universidad de Ankara entre 2011 y 2016.PRINCIPALES MEDIDAS DE RESULTADO:El resultado principal fue el efecto de la prehabilitación de la estoma sobre la capacidad de autocuidado.RESULTADOS:Se incluyeron en este estudio 240 pacientes. Autocuidado de la estoma: Veinticuatro (31,2%), 51 (78,5%), y 72 (94,7%) pacientes de los grupos A, B, y C, respectivamente, pudieron realizar el cuidado de la estoma de forma independiente ( p < 0,001). En el análisis de subgrupos, entre los pacientes con ostomía temporal, los pacientes del grupo de prehabilitación también fueron mejores que los pacientes de los grupos B y C ( p < 0,001); sin embargo, no hubo una relación similar entre los pacientes con ostomía permanente. HADS: El grupo de prehabilitación tuvo menos pacientes con ansiedad y depresión con respecto a los demás grupos. Entre los pacientes con estomas temporales, el grupo de prehabilitación también tuvo menos pacientes con ansiedad y depresión. No hubo diferencias con la ansiedad o depresión entre los pacientes con estomas permanentes. Estoma-QoL (calidad de vida): Las puntuaciones de QoL (calidad de vida) fueron significativamente más altas en el grupo de prehabilitación ( p < 0,001). Entre los pacientes con estoma temporal, el grupo de prehabilitación fue significativamente mejor que los otros grupos ( p < 0,001). No hubo diferencias entre los portadores de estoma permanente.LIMITACIONES:Este fue un estudio de un solo centro y grupos heterogéneos.CONCLUSIÓNES:La prehabilitación facilita el autocuidado de la estoma, disminuye la predisposición a la ansiedad y la depresión y mejora la calidad de vida de los pacientes con ostomía. Consulte Video Resumen en http://links.lww.com/DCR/B918 . (Traducción-Dr. Osvaldo Gauto )Registro de ensayos clínicos:ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04692610.

Usefulness of the skeletal muscle index in postoperative ileus of colorectal cancer patients: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Postoperative complications of colorectal cancer mainly include infections (surgical site infection, remote infection, etc.), post-operative ileus (POI), and anastomosis leakage. POI reportedly prolongs the hospital stay and increases medical costs. Therefore, predicting POI is very important. There have been some reports on the relationships between sarcopenia and postoperative complications in colorectal cancer patients, but none have been limited to POI. We therefore conducted a retrospective clinical study with a logistic regression analysis to confirm the risk factors for ileus after colorectal cancer surgery.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 213 patients who underwent elective oncological colorectal surgery for colorectal cancer from November 2017 to July 2021. The skeletal muscle mass (SMM, kg) was estimated using a whole-body bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and the skeletal muscle index (SMI) was calculated as the SMM/height². We divided all patients into 2 groups based on a low SMI (male < 8.958 kg/m², female < 8.443 kg/m²) or normal SMI. Preoperative and intraoperative factors as well as, postoperative outcomes were then compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

The median (range) age of the 213 included patients was 72.0 (33-91) years old. Complications were noted in 96 patients (45.1%), including 21 (9.9%) with POI. There were 68 (31.9%) low SMI patients. POI occurred significantly more frequently in low SMI patients (19.1%) than in normal SMI patients (5.5%) (p = 0.005). In the multivariate analysis, bleeding (p = 0.039) and a low SMI (p = 0.031) were significantly associated with POI. In addition, a propensity score matching analysis was performed to further reduce the selection bias. As a result, a low SMI was the only independent POI predictor among the 78 matched cases.

CONCLUSION

A preoperative low SMI in colorectal cancer patients was considered a risk factor for POI.

The impact of prehabilitation interventions on affective and functional outcomes for young to midlife adult cancer patients: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

Cancer remains one of the most enduring health crises of the modern world. Prehabilitation is a relatively new intervention aimed at preparing individuals for the stresses associated with treatment from diagnosis. Prehabilitation can include exercise, psychological and nutrition-based interventions. The present systematic review aimed to assess the efficacy of prehabilitation on affective and functional outcomes for young to midlife adult cancer patients (18-55 years). Outcomes of interest included prehabilitation programme composition, duration, mode of delivery and measures used to determine impact on affective and functional outcomes.

METHODS

The following databases were searched with controlled and free text vocabulary; Psychological Information database (PsychINFO), Culmunated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE) and Public MEDLINE (PubMed). Abstract and full-text screening was conducted with a secondary reviewer and final texts were subject to risk of bias analysis.

RESULTS

Thirteen texts were included at full-text. These included data of 797 prehabilitation participants (mean age 53 years) and a large representation of female participants (71% average). Evidence was found for the efficacy of psychological prehabilitation for anxiety reduction. Prehabilitation did not significantly affect health related quality of life. Findings moderately supported the therapeutic validity of exercise prehabilitation for functional outcomes, both in terms of clinical and experimental improvement with respect to the quality of evidence. Variation between all prehabilitation types was observed. There was insufficient evidence to support the efficacy of psychological prehabilitation on stress, distress or depression.

CONCLUSION

Implications for future research are highlighted and then discussed with respect to this young to midlife age group.

Peritoneal metastases in elderly patients with colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

With the introduction of cytoreductive surgery with intraperitoneal chemotherapy and the development of new systemic anti-cancer agents, the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with peritoneal metastases has changed. Real-world data on the treatment of elderly patients and their clinical outcomes is lacking.

METHODS

All CRC patients diagnosed with synchronous peritoneal metastases (SPM) during 2008-2019 (n = 7,748) were identified from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Trends in treatment and postoperative mortality were described by age category (<70, 70-74, 75-79, ≥80 years) and period of diagnosis (2008-2013, 2014-2019). Kaplan-Meier curves were constructed, and log-rank tests were performed to evaluate differences in overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

With increasing age, less patients received multimodality treatment and systemic treatment. Of the patients aged <70 years, 38% underwent multimodality treatment and 35% palliative systemic therapy, declining to 4% and 12% in patients ≥80 years. A large and increasing proportion of elderly patients did not receive cancer-directed treatment, this increased from 32% in 2008-2013 to 41% in 2014-2019 in 75-79 years old patients and from 52% to 65% in ≥80 years old. Postoperative mortality decreased in all age categories over time, OS remained stable. The median OS of elderly patients ranged from 8 months in 70-74 years old to 3 months in patients aged ≥80 years.

DISCUSSION

Age strongly affects treatment of patients with SPM, with a large and increasing proportion of elderly patients not receiving cancer-directed treatment. Their prognosis remains very poor. There is a need for therapeutic options that are well tolerable for elderly patients.

Perioperative Management of Ulcerative Colitis: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Patients with ulcerative colitis may require colectomy for severe disease unresponsive or refractory to pharmacological therapy. Managing ulcerative colitis is complicated because there are many factors at play, including patient optimization and treatment, as the guidance varies on the ideal perioperative use of corticosteroids, immunomodulators, biologics, and small molecule agents.

OBJECTIVE

A systematic literature review was performed to describe the current status of perioperative management of ulcerative colitis.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed and Cochrane databases were used.

STUDY SELECTION

Studies published between January 2000 and January 2022, in any language, were included. Articles regarding pediatric or endoscopic management were excluded.

INTERVENTIONS

Perioperative management of ulcerative colitis was included.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Successful management, including reducing surgical complication rates, was measured.

RESULTS

A total of 121 studies were included in this review, including 23 meta-analyses or systematic reviews, 25 reviews, and 51 cohort studies.

LIMITATIONS

Qualitative review including all study types. The varied nature of study types precludes quantitative comparison.

CONCLUSION

Indications for colectomy in ulcerative colitis include severe disease unresponsive to medical treatment and colitis-associated neoplasia. Urgent colectomy has a higher mortality rate than elective colectomy. Corticosteroids are associated with postsurgical infectious complications and should be stopped or weaned before surgery. Biologics are not associated with adverse postoperative effects and do not necessarily need to be stopped preoperatively. Additionally, the clinician must assess individuals' comorbidities, nutrition status, and risk of venous thromboembolism. Nutritional imbalance should be corrected, ideally at the preoperative period. Postoperatively, corticosteroids can be tapered on the basis of the length of preoperative corticosteroid use.

Perspectives on the Direction of Cancer Prehabilitation in the Pandemic and Beyond

Growing attention has been placed on cancer prehabilitation in the recent years as the number of publications increase. The real-world application of prehabilitation remains heterogeneous and its implementation has been challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the pandemic has also provided impetus for change-leveraging technology and digitalization. This paper will discuss the pre-existing models of care, adaptations that had taken place in the pandemic, the model of care in the author's institution, and the future direction of cancer prehabilitation.

Nutrition Care in Cancer Surgery Patients: A Narrative Review of Nutritional Screening and Assessment Methods and Nutritional Considerations

Malignancy is a catabolic state, which is precipitated with surgical intervention. Malnutrition is one of the main risk factors for poor outcomes of cancer surgery. We need to screen oncological patients for malnutrition using standardized screening tools, by which patients found to be at nutritional risk are then referred to a registered dietitian for further management. A detailed assessment is required in such patients, which helps in categorizing the patients based on the severity and rendering proper care. Preoperative nutrition care is often overlooked because of the urgency of operating on a cancer patient. Still, studies have shown preoperative nutritional building gives better surgical outcomes and good postoperative quality of life. Preoperative nutrition care includes both early and late preoperative care. For efficient preoperative nutrition care publishing, standard operating procedures at every healthcare center are recommended. Postoperative nutrition care is given to build the patient tackle the surgical trauma, and their diet mainly includes protein to minimize catabolism. Regardless of the route of nutrition delivery, providing appropriate nutrition care in the postoperative period improves cancer patients' condition drastically. Early postoperative nutrition is studied in different cancer surgeries and is considered ideal in cancer surgical patients. There is a need for consensus on the composition of postoperative nutrition. The diet of a cancer patient should include micronutrients like vitamins D and B and minerals along with the usual nutrition care. The use of special diets like branched-chain amino acids and immune nutrition is to be considered on a case-by-case basis and introducing them into the routine care of a patient needs to be studied extensively.

Trends in infectious complications after partial colectomy for colon cancer over a decade: A national cohort study

BACKGROUND

The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program helps participating hospitals track and report surgical complications with the goal of improving patient care. We sought to determine whether postoperative infectious complications after elective colectomy for malignancy improved among participating centers over time.

METHODS

Patients with colon malignancies who underwent elective partial colectomy with primary anastomosis (categorized as low or non-low) were identified from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database (2011-2019). Thirty-day postoperative infectious complications analyzed by year included superficial, deep, and organ space surgical site infections, urinary tract infection, pneumonia, and sepsis. Trends in patient and treatment characteristics were investigated using log-linear regression along with their association with infectious outcomes.

RESULTS

Of the 78,827 patients identified, 51% were female, and the median age was 68. The majority (84%) underwent partial colectomy without a low anastomosis. There was a decrease in all infectious complications except for organ space infections which increased 35% overall from 2.0 to 2.7% (P = .037), driven by patients without a low anastomosis (1.9%-2.7%, P = .01). There was no change in most patient factors associated with organ space infections, except for a notable increase in American Society of Anesthesiologists class III and IV-V patients over time, both associated with organ space infections (P < .001; P = .002).

CONCLUSION

Infectious complications have decreased significantly overall after colectomy for colon cancer, whereas there has been an increase in organ space infection rates specifically. Although changing patient characteristics may contribute to this observed trend, further study is needed to better understand its etiology to help mitigate this complication.

Ruiz J, Nestares T, Carneiro-Barrera A. Multidisciplinary Prehabilitation and Postoperative Rehabilitation for Avoiding Complications in Patients Undergoing Resection of Colon Cancer: Rationale, Design, and Methodology of the ONCOFIT Study

ONCOFIT is a randomized clinical trial with a two-arm parallel design aimed at determining the influence of a multidisciplinary Prehabilitation and Postoperative Program (PPP) on post-surgery complications in patients undergoing resection of colon cancer. This intervention will include supervised physical exercise, dietary behavior change, and psychological support comparing its influence to the standard care. Primary and secondary endpoints will be assessed at baseline, at preoperative conditions, at the end of the PPP intervention (after 12 weeks) and 1-year post-surgery, and will include: post-surgery complications (primary endpoint); prolonged hospital length of stay; readmissions and emergency department call within 1-year after surgery; functional capacity; patient reported outcome measures targeted; anthropometry and body composition; clinical/tumor parameters; physical activity levels and sedentariness; dietary habits; other unhealthy habits; sleep quality; and fecal microbiota diversity and composition. Considering the feasibility of the present intervention in a real-life scenario, ONCOFIT will contribute to the standardization of a cost-effective strategy for preventing and improving health-related consequences in patients undergoing resection of colon cancer with an important clinical and economic impact, not only in the scientific community, but also in clinical practice.

Cancer Prehabilitation in Practice: the Current Evidence

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This article serves to describe recent controversies in cancer prehabilitation including efficacy, dose, cost effectiveness, stakeholder input, and international implementation.

RECENT FINDINGS

Appropriate frequency, type, and timing have yet to be determined, but high intensity exercise is recommended. Costs are favorable when modeled and information on costs of real-world application are forthcoming. Patients are interested in and willing to attend cancer prehabilitation. Cancer prehabilitation research is spreading throughout the world. Cancer prehabilitation includes assessment of a newly diagnosed cancer patient's baseline fitness and targeted interventions to improve their health before surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation. Cancer prehabilitation improves fitness as measured preoperatively and improves outcomes postoperatively.

Effect of a Smoking and Alcohol Cessation Intervention Initiated Shortly Before Radical Cystectomy-the STOP-OP Study: A Randomised Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND

Evidence concerning the reduction of postoperative complications due to smoking and alcohol drinking in patients undergoing radical cystectomy is incomplete.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy of a 6-wk smoking and/or alcohol cessation intervention, initiated shortly before surgery and continued until 4 wk after, in reducing complications.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Between 2014 and 2018, we enrolled 104 patients with high-risk bladder cancer who were daily smokers or consuming at least 3 units of alcohol daily in a multicentre randomised clinical trial.

INTERVENTION

Patients were randomised to a 6-wk intensive smoking and/or alcohol cessation intervention or treatment as usual.

OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

The primary endpoint was the number of patients developing any postoperative complication, or death, within 30 d after surgery. The secondary endpoints were successful quitters, health-related quality of life, length of stay, time back to habitual activity, and mortality. An intention-to-treat analysis was applied to evaluate treatment effect.

RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS

There were some differences in baseline demographic and lifestyle characteristics. Postoperatively, 64% in the intervention group versus 70% in the control group (risk ratio [RR] 0.91, confidence interval [CI] 0.68-1.21, p = 0.51) developed complications. Significantly fewer patients developed three or more complications after 30 d (RR 0.39; CI 0.18-0.84, p = 0.01). The rates of successful quitting were 51% in the intervention group and 27% in the control group (RR 2, CI 1.14-3.51, p = 0.01). The external validity of this trial may be limited because 53% of eligible patients refused participation.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite a significant effect on the quit rate at completion of the intervention, this multimodal prehabilitation did not show a significant difference regarding our primary outcome postoperative complications.

PATIENT SUMMARY

A 6-wk smoking and alcohol cessation intervention in relation to bladder cancer surgery did not reduce postoperative complications, but it was effective in supporting people to quit in the short term.

Inflammation-based prognostic scores in geriatric patients with rectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Morbidity/mortality and oncologic outcomes can be worsened in geriatric rectal cancer patients due to comorbidities and frailty. The aim of this study was to compare surgical and oncological results of geriatric rectal cancer patients using inflammation-based prognostic scores.

METHODS

The prospectively maintained database of 991 rectal cancer patients treated at our center between 2007 and 2020 were analyzed. All conventional clinicopathologic features, and oncologic outcomes are compared between patients ≥ 65 years old (geriatric patients: Group I) and < 65 years old (non-geriatric patients: Group II). The modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) and the C-reactive protein-albumin ratio (CAR), were determined. The prognostic value of mGPS and CAR as well as the well-known clinico-pathologic factors to predict surgical morbidity, mortality, local and/or distant recurrence, and overall survival was assessed.

RESULTS

There were 567 (57.2%) patients who were ≥ 65 years old (Group I; 349 males, median age 74 [range 65-9]) years) and 424 (42.8%) who were < 65 years old (Group II; 252 males, median age 58 [range 20-64] years). The high-grade [Clavien-Dindo III-IV] complications rates of Group I and Group II patients sere 20% (n = 113), and 9% (n = 37), respectively. High-grade complications were related to mGPS (p < 0.001) and CAR (p < 0.001) values. The high-grade complication rate was found to be higher in Group I than in Group II, and this was statistically significant (p < 0.001). High preoperative mGPS and CAR values were significantly associated with postoperative mortality (p < 0.001). In Cox multivariate analysis, mGPS (p = 0.003) and CAR (p = 0.001) were significantly in correlation with lowered overall survival. The mGPS and CAR were found to be independent prognostic factors for overall survival.

CONCLUSIONS

The mGPS and CAR can predict severe postoperative complications and early mortality. mGPS, and CAR have a powerful prognostic value and the potential clinical usefulness to predict decreased overall survival in both geriatric and non-geriatric rectal cancer patients.

The impact of age on rectal cancer treatment, complications and survival

BACKGROUND

The number of older patients with rectal cancer is increasing. Treatment outcome discrepancies persist, despite similar treatment guidelines. To offer the oldest patients optimal individually adjusted care, further knowledge is needed regarding treatment strategy and outcome. The present study aimed to evaluate treatment, postoperative complications, and survival in older patients treated for rectal cancer.

METHODS

This retrospective study included all 666 patients (n=255 females, n=411 males) treated for rectal cancer at Levanger Hospital during 1980-2016 (n=193 <65 years, n=329 65-79 years, n=144 ≥80 years). We performed logistic regression to analyse associations between complications, 90-day mortality, and explanatory variables. We performed a relative survival analysis to identify factors associated with short- and long-term survival.

RESULTS

Despite a similar distribution of cancer stages across age-groups, patients aged ≥80 years were treated with a non-curative approach more frequently than younger age groups. Among patients aged ≥80 years, 42% underwent a non-curative treatment approach, compared to 25% of patients aged <65 years, and 25% of patients aged 65-79 years. The 90-day mortality was 15.3% among patients aged ≥80 years, compared to 5.7% among patients aged <65 years, and 9.4% among patients aged 65-79 years. Among 431 (65%) patients treated with a major resection with curative intent, the 90-day mortality was 5.9% among patients aged ≥80 years (n=68), compared to 0.8% among patients aged <65 years (n=126), and 3.8% among patients aged 65-79 years (n=237). The rate of postoperative complications was 47.6%. Pneumonia was the only complication that occurred more frequently in the older patient group. The severity of complications increased with three factors: age, American Society of Anaesthesiologists score, and >400 ml perioperative blood loss. Among patients that survived the first 90 days, the relative long-term survival rates, five-year local recurrence rates, and metastases rates were independent of age.

CONCLUSION

Patients aged ≥80 years were less likely to undergo a major resection with curative intent and experienced more severe complications after surgery than patients aged <80 years. When patients aged ≥80 years were treated with a major resection with curative intent, the long-term survival rate was comparable to that of younger patients.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Application and Outcomes: Analysis in the "Lazio Network" Database

Background

The aim of this study was to investigate how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced ERAS program application in colorectal surgery across hospitals in the Lazio region (central district in Italy) participating in the “Lazio Network” project.

Methods

A multi-institutional database was constructed. All patients included in this study underwent elective colorectal surgery for both malignant and benign disease between January 2019 and December 2020. Emergency procedures were excluded. The population was divided into 2 groups: a pre-COVID-19 group (PG) of patients operated on between February and December 2019 and a COVID-19 group (CG) of patients operated on between February and December 2020, during the first 2 waves of the pandemic in Italy.

Results

The groups included 622 patients in the PG and 615 in the CG treated in 8 hospitals of the network. The mean number of items applied was higher in the PG (65.6% vs. 56.6%, p < 0.001) in terms of preoperative items (64.2% vs. 50.7%, p < 0.001), intraoperative items (65.0% vs. 53.3%, p < 0.001), and postoperative items (68.8% vs. 63.2%, p < 0.001). Postoperative recovery was faster in the PG, with a shorter time to first flatus, first stool, autonomous mobilization and discharge (6.82 days vs. 7.43 days, p = 0.021). Postoperative complications, mortality and reoperations were similar among the groups.

Conclusions

The COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the application of ERAS in the centers of the “Lazio Network” study group, with a reduction in adherence to the ERAS protocol in terms of preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative items. In addition, in the CG, the patients had worse postoperative outcomes with respect to recovery and discharge.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00268-022-06694-8.

Feasibility of quantification based on novel evaluation with stool DNA and fecal immunochemical test for colorectal cancer detection

Background

Stool DNA (sDNA) tests and fecal immunochemical test (FIT) are used for the detection of colorectal cancer (CRC). Here we performed a novel evaluation using sDNA and FIT to assess their performance in CRC screening and monitoring in Hubei, China.

Methods

Stool samples were collected from a high-risk population in Hubei, China (n = 359). sDNA tests and FIT were performed to test for KRAS mutations, NDRG4 and BMP3 methylation, and check hemoglobin levels. The methylation in BMP3 and NDRG4 genes was detected by TaqMan PCR method from human fecal samples. KRAS gene mutation in human fecal DNA was tested using TaqMan probe and amplification-refractory mutation system method. The colloid gold method was used for detection of hemoglobin in fecal samples. Finally, a novel evaluation by software was used to calculate the comprehensive value of the combined results for CRC detection and monitoring.

Results

The sensitivity and specificity of the novel evaluation for early CRC (stage I and II), advanced adenoma (AA), and non-colon cancer neoplasm (NA) detection were 95.45% and 81.6%, 29.63% and 75.9%, and 23.08% and 75.17%, respectively. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of the combined value for the above diseases were 0.945 ± 0.015, 0.543 ± 0.055, and 0.547 ± 0.038, respectively. The levels of the novel evaluation were not significantly associated with the pathology and stage (P > 0.05). In 20 out of 22 CRC patients, the novel evaluation of sDNA and FIT had decreased below threshold (< 165) at after surgery.

Discussion

The novel evaluation with sDNA test and FIT has increased sensitivity for screening of CRC and AA. The novel evaluation may have potential importance as an indicator of early CRC. Additionally, the dynamic changes of the comprehensive value after surgery were correlated with CRC treatment.

Hughes abdominal closure versus standard mass closure to reduce incisional hernias following surgery for colorectal cancer: the HART RCT

BACKGROUND

Incisional hernias can cause chronic pain and complications and affect quality of life. Surgical repair requires health-care resources and has a significant associated failure rate. A prospective, multicentre, single-blinded randomised controlled trial was conducted to investigate the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the Hughes abdominal closure method compared with standard mass closure following surgery for colorectal cancer. The study randomised, in a 1 : 1 ratio, 802 adult patients (aged ≥ 18 years) undergoing surgical resection for colorectal cancer from 28 surgical departments in UK centres.

INTERVENTION

Hughes abdominal closure or standard mass closure.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome was the incidence of incisional hernias at 1 year, as assessed by clinical examination. Within-trial cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses over 1 year were conducted from an NHS and a social care perspective. A key secondary outcome was quality of life, and other outcomes included the incidence of incisional hernias as detected by computed tomography scanning.

RESULTS

The incidence of incisional hernia at 1-year clinical examination was 50 (14.8%) in the Hughes abdominal closure arm compared with 57 (17.1%) in the standard mass closure arm (odds ratio 0.84, 95% confidence interval 0.55 to 1.27; p = 0.4). In year 2, the incidence of incisional hernia was 78 (28.7%) in the Hughes abdominal closure arm compared with 84 (31.8%) in the standard mass closure arm (odds ratio 0.86, 95% confidence interval 0.59 to 1.25; p = 0.43). Computed tomography scanning identified a total of 301 incisional hernias across both arms, compared with 100 identified by clinical examination at the 1-year follow-up. Computed tomography scanning missed 16 incisional hernias that were picked up by clinical examination. Hughes abdominal closure was found to be less cost-effective than standard mass closure. The mean incremental cost for patients undergoing Hughes abdominal closure was £616.45 (95% confidence interval -£699.56 to £1932.47; p = 0.3580). Quality of life did not differ significantly between the study arms at any time point.

LIMITATIONS

As this was a pragmatic trial, the control arm allowed surgeon discretion in the approach to standard mass closure, introducing variability in the techniques and equipment used. Intraoperative randomisation may result in a loss of equipoise for some surgeons. Follow-up was limited to 2 years, which may not have been enough time to see a difference in the primary outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

Hughes abdominal closure did not significantly reduce the incidence of incisional hernias detected by clinical examination and was less cost-effective at 1 year than standard mass closure in colorectal cancer patients. Computed tomography scanning may be more effective at identifying incisional hernias than clinical examination, but the clinical benefit of this needs further research.

FUTURE WORK

An extended follow-up using routinely collected NHS data sets aims to report on incisional hernia rates at 2-5 years post surgery to investigate any potential mortality benefit of the closure methods. Furthermore, the proportion of incisional hernias identified by a computed tomography scan (at 1 and 2 years post surgery), but not during clinical examination (occult hernias), proceeding to surgical repair within 3-5 years after the initial operation will be explored.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This trial is registered as ISRCTN25616490.

FUNDING

This project was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 26, No. 34. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

The Effects of Anastomotic Leaks on the Net Revenue from Colon Surgery

Background: Complications in colon surgery can have severe health consequences, while at the same time, they are associated with increased costs. An anastomotic leak (AL) is associated with significantly increased costs compared to cases without. The aim of our analysis was to evaluate, which individual processes and patient-unrelated factors influencing the treatment process of colon surgery are responsible for the financial burden in patients with AL. Methods: Data from 263 patients who underwent colon surgery in Wetzikon hospital between January 2018 and December 2020 and was analyzed. In these 263 cases, 12 anastomotic leaks occurred and were compared with 36 cases without AL using a Propensity Score Matching (PSM). The covariates for the PSM have been Age, Sex, and Type of Surgery (t value: −3.26, p-value: 0.001). Results: A total of 48 surgeries were broken down in terms of costs and profitability. This reflected a mean deficit of −37,527 CHF per case (range from −130.05 to +755 CHF) for patients with AL, whereas a mean profit of 1590 CHF per case (range from −24.37 to +12.65 CHF) for those without AL (p < 0.001). Thus, the difference in profit showed a factor of 24.6 with an overall significant negative outcome for the occurrence of AL. The main cost contributing factors were the length of hospital stay (~p < 0.05) and length of intensive care (p < 0.05), whereas neither surgical operation time and anesthesia time nor surgical access, insurance status, indication or type of operation had a significant influence on the net revenue. Conclusion: AL after colon surgery leads to a significant deficit regarding the net revenue. Regarding process optimization, our analysis identified several sectors of non-patient-related, yet cost-influencing variables that should be addressed in future evaluations and optimization of the colon surgery treatment processes.

Prognostic impact of the preoperatory neutrophil/lymphocyte index on early surgical complications of patients with colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is found among those with greatest frequency and exponential increase worldwide, with high mortality rates, which are observed as increasing due to the postsurgical complications that come to present. Systemic inflammation participates in the development and progression of cancer; therefore, inflammatory and/or immunological response markers such as the neutrophil/lymphocyte index (NLI) can aid us in predicting the poor results of our interventions. The purpose of our study was to determine the impact of an NLI of ≥2.6 as a predictor of early postsurgical complications. By means of a prospective cohort, we analyzed 158 patients with CRC who were submitted to elective surgery with a later 30-day follow-up. We found that the preoperatory NLI of ≥2.6 obtained an odds ratio (OR) = 2.24 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-4.36) as a prognostic factor of early postsurgical complications according to the Clavien-Dindo classification scale, which represents a low prognostic impact due to its predictive yield with low accuracy, which is the opposite of what other reports have previously published. The use of chemotherapy before the surgical procedure was also determined to be a risk factor for post-surgical complications.

The five-factor modified frailty index predicts adverse postoperative and chemotherapy outcomes in gynecologic oncology

INTRODUCTION

Frailty is increasingly recognized as a predictor of postoperative morbidity and oncologic outcomes. Evidence of the predictive value of frailty assessment in gynecologic oncology remains sparse.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) comorbidity-based modified Frailty Index-5 (mFI-5) as predictor of severe postoperative complications, non-completion of chemotherapy and other patient-centered outcomes in gynecologic oncology patients >70 years-old undergoing surgery.

METHODS

Prospectively-collected NSQIP data and retrospective chart review of patients undergoing elective laparotomies for gynecologic malignances at a tertiary academic center in Ontario, Canada, between 01/2016-09/2020 were reviewed. Primary outcome was rate of 30-day Clavien-Dindo (Clavien) grade III-V complications. Secondary outcomes included Clavien II-V complications, postoperative length of stay (LOS), non-home discharge and non-completion of chemotherapy. Logistic regression analyses and receiver-operator curves were performed.

RESULTS

Two-hundred and fifty-nine patients were included; 103 were planned to receive adjuvant chemotherapy. Fifty-three patients (20.5%) had an mFI ≥ 2 and were categorized as frail. On multivariable analyses, frailty independently predicted grade III-V complications (OR 24.49, 95%CI 9.72-70.67, p < 0.0001), grade II-V complications (OR 4.64, 95%CI 2.31-9.94, p < 0.0001), non-home discharge (OR 7.37, 95%CI 2.81-20.46, p < 0.0001), LOS ≥ 7d (OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.54-8.6, p = 0.003) and non-completion of chemotherapy (OR 8.42, 95%CI 2.46-32.79, p = 0.001). Adjusted C-statistics demonstrated strong predictive value of the mFI-5 for grade III-V (0.92, 95%CI 0.86-0.97) and grade II-V (0.74, 95%CI 0.68-0.8) complications as well as non-home discharge (0.86, 95%CI 0.78-0.95) and chemotherapy non-completion (0.87, 95%CI 0.8-0.95).

CONCLUSION

Frailty as assessed with the mFI-5 predicted adverse postoperative and chemotherapy outcomes in gynecologic oncology patients aged ≥70 undergoing a laparotomy. The mFI-5 is a concise tool that can be used for routine frailty screening and risk stratification.

Unresolved issues in perioperative nutrition: A narrative review

Surgical patients are at an increased risk of negative outcomes if they are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition preoperatively. Optimisation of nutritional status should be a focus throughout the perioperative continuum to promote improved surgical outcomes. Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) protocols are increasingly applied in the surgical setting but are not yet widespread. This narrative review focused on areas of perioperative nutrition that are perceived as controversial or are lacking in agreement. A search for available literature was conducted on 1 March 2022 and relevant high-quality articles published since 2015 were considered for inclusion. Most malnutrition screening tools are not specific to the surgical population except for the Perioperative Nutrition Screen (PONS) although more large-scale initiatives are needed to improve the prevalence of preoperative nutrition screening. Poor muscle health is common in patients with malnutrition and further exacerbates negative health outcomes indicating that prevention, detection and treatment is of high importance in this population. Although a lack of consensus remains for who should receive preoperative nutritional therapy, evidence suggests a positive impact on muscle health. Additionally, postoperative nutritional support benefits surgical outcomes, with some patients requiring enteral and/or parenteral feeding routes and showing benefit from immunonutrition. The importance of nutrition extends beyond the time in hospital and should remain a priority post-discharge. The impact of individual or personalised nutrition based on select patient characteristics remains to be further investigated. Overall, the importance of perioperative nutrition is evident in the literature despite select ongoing areas of contention.

"Optimal recovery" after colon cancer surgery in the elderly, a comparative cohort study: Conventional care vs. enhanced recovery vs. prehabilitation

BACKGROUND

Colon cancer in elderly patients is an increasing problem due to its prevalence and progressive aging population. Prehabilitation has experienced a great grown in this field. Whether it is the best standard of care for these patients has not been elucidated yet.

METHODS

A retrospective comparative cohort study of three different standards of care for elderly colon cancer patients (>65 years) was conducted. A four-weeks trimodal prehabilitation program (PP), enhanced recovery program (ERP) and conventional care (CC) were compared. Global complications, major complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥ 3), reinterventions, mortality, readmission and length of stay were measured. Optimal recovery, defined as postoperative course without major complications, no mortality, hospital discharge before the fifth postoperative day and without readmission, was the primary outcome measure. The influence of standard of care in optimal recovery and postoperative outcomes was assessed with univariate and multivariate logistic regression models.

RESULTS

A total of 153 patients were included, 51 in each group. Mean age was 77.9 years. ASA Score distribution was different between groups (ASA III-IV: CC 56.9%, ERP 25.5%, PP 58.9%; p = 0.014). Optimal recovery rate was 55.6% (PP 54.9%, ERP 66.7%, CC 45.1%; p = 0.09). No differences were found in major complications (p = 0.2) nor reinterventions (p = 0.7). Uneventful recovery favors ERP and PP groups (p = 0.046 and p = 0.049 respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

PP and ERP are safe and effective for older colon cancer patients. Fewer overall complications and readmissions happened in ERP and PP patients. Major complications were independent of the standard of care used.

Engaging TEAM Medicine in Patient Care: Redefining Cancer Survivorship From Diagnosis

New approaches to cancer survivorship care must address the rising number of survivors who need complex care; the need to personalize care to improve health equity; workforce shortages and clinician knowledge deficits about the long-term and late effects of cancer; the need to engage and coordinate oncology, primary care, and a large multidisciplinary team of subspecialists and programs to meet survivors' needs; and the need to control costs and deliver better value. This review proposes eight core tenets of an evolved standard of care to meet these needs by starting at diagnosis and continuing throughout oncology and into follow-up to: (1) facilitate team medicine by connecting oncology, primary care, subspecialists and programs, researchers, and patients and caregivers; (2) educate patients and support them in self-management; (3) mitigate toxicities; (4) manage comorbidities; (5) promote healthy behaviors and wellness; (6) improve health equity; (7) provide clear personalized follow-up; and (8) provide ongoing opportunities for participation in research as the standard of care. Strategies to successfully implement this care are discussed from the perspectives of oncology, primary care, and health care administration.

Preparing for colorectal surgery: a qualitative study of experiences and preferences of patients in Western Canada

Objectives

The burden and costs of abdominal surgery for chronic conditions are on the rise, but could be reduced through self-management support. However, structured support to prepare for colorectal surgery is not routinely offered to patients in Canada. This study aimed to describe experiences and explore preferences for multimodal prehabilitation among colorectal surgery patients.

Methods

A qualitative descriptive study using three focus groups (FG) was held with 19 patients who had a surgical date for abdominal surgery (April 2017-April 2018) and lived close (≤ 50 km radius) to a tertiary hospital in Western Canada (including a Surgical Lead for the British Columbia Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Collaborative). FGs were audio-taped and verbatim transcribed with coding and pile-and-sort methods performed by two independent reviewers, confirmed by a third reviewer, in NVivo v9 software; followed by thematic analysis and narrative synthesis.

Results

Four themes emerged: support, informed decision-making, personalization of care, and mental/emotional health, which patients felt was particularly important but rarely addressed. Patient preferences for prehabilitation programming emphasised regular support from a single professional source, simple health messages, convenient access, and flexibility.

Conclusions

There is an unmet need for structured preoperative support to better prepare patients for colorectal surgery. Future multimodal prehabilitation should be flexible and presented with non-medical information so patients can make informed decisions about their preoperative care and surgical outcomes. Healthcare providers have an important role in encouraging healthy lifestyle changes before colorectal surgery, though clearer communication and accurate advice on self-care, particularly mental health, are needed for improving patient outcomes.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-022-08130-y.

• Optimising preoperative care for abdominal surgery patients could improve outcomes.

• Patient experiences of preparing for colorectal surgery could inform future interventions, but patient-oriented research to improve quality of care is scarce.

• There is an unmet need for preoperative support in colorectal surgery.

• Future multimodal prehabilitation should incorporate patient preferences.

Surgical outcomes and quality of life following exercise-based prehabilitation for hepato-pancreatico-biliary surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Hepato-pancreatico-biliary (HPB) patients experience significant risk of preoperative frailty. Studies assessing preventative prehabilitation in HPB populations are limited. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates outcomes for HPB patients treated with exercise prehabilitation.

DATA SOURCES

A comprehensive search of MEDLINE (via Ovid), Embase (Ovid), Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, Cochrane Library (Wiley), ProQuest Dissertations, Theses Global, and Google Scholar was conducted with review and extraction following PRISMA guidelines. Included studies evaluated more than 5 adult HPB patients undergoing ≥ 7-day exercise prehabilitation. The primary outcome was postoperative length of stay (LOS); secondary outcomes included complications, mortality, physical performance, and quality of life.

RESULTS

We evaluated 1778 titles and abstracts and selected 6 (randomized controlled trial, n = 3; prospective cohort, n = 1; retrospective cohort, n = 2) that included 957 patients. Of those, 536 patients (56.0%) underwent exercise prehabilitation and 421 (44.0%) received standard care. Patients in both groups were similar with regards to important demographic factors. Prehabilitation was associated with a 5.20-day LOS reduction (P = 0.03); when outliers were removed, LOS reduction decreased to 1.85 days and was non-statistically significant (P = 0.34). Postoperative complications (OR = 0.70; 95% CI: 0.39 to 1.26; P = 0.23), major complications (OR = 0.83; 95% CI: 0.60 to 1.14; P = 0.24), and mortality (OR = 0.67; 95% CI: 0.17 to 2.70; P = 0.57) were similar. Prehabilitation was associated with improved strength, cardiopulmonary function, quality of life, and alleviated sarcopenia.

CONCLUSIONS

Exercise prehabilitation may reduce LOS and morbidity following HPB surgery. Studies with well-defined exercise regimens are needed to optimize exercise prehabilitation outcomes.

Acceptability and barriers to adopting physical therapy and rehabilitation as standard of care in hernia disease: a prospective national survey of providers and preliminary data

PURPOSE

Physical therapy (PT) and rehabilitation are widely utilized in a variety of disease processes to improve function, return to activities of daily living (ADLs), and promote overall recovery. However, hernia repair has struggled to adopt this practice despite operations occurring in one of the most dynamic parts of the body - the abdominal core. This study sought to understand perspectives and perceived barriers regarding the incorporation of PT and rehabilitation in hernia care.

METHODS

A standardized rehabilitation protocol was developed by the Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative (ACHQC), a national quality improvement initiative specific to hernia disease, and launched in 2019. Empiric data from the ACHQC was then obtained to describe preliminary utilization. A prospective electronic survey was then deployed to all surgeons participating in the ACHQC to aid in interpreting the identified trends. The survey included questions regarding the current use of PT in their practice, as well as further opinions on the functionality, benefit, and barriers to its use.

RESULTS

We identified 1,544 patients who were listed as receiving some form of postoperative rehabilitation, of which 992 (64.2%) had a primary diagnosis of ventral hernia and 552 (35.8%) had an inguinal hernia. Among patients who had a ventral hernia, 863 (87.0%) received self-directed rehabilitation exercises compared to 488 (88.4%) of inguinal hernia patients. The subsequent survey exploring these trends was completed by 46 ACHQC surgeons (10.2%). More than half (52%) reported using PT for hernia patients, primarily in abdominal wall reconstruction cases (92%). Of those who did not report using PT, 50% cited unknown clinical benefit and another 27% cited unknown PT resources. PT utilization was typically concentrated to the postoperative period (58%), while 42% reported also using it preoperatively. Despite 72% of respondents citing a perceived benefit of PT in hernia patients, overall use of PT was primarily reported as 'occasional' by 42%, with another 27% reporting 'rarely.' Perceived benefits of PT included increased core strength, stability, mobility, patient satisfaction, education, independence, earlier return to work and ADLs, overall improved recovery, and decreased risk of postoperative issues. Reported barriers to implementing PT in practice or adapting the ACHQC Rehabilitation Protocol included lack of education, lack of evidence of clinical benefit, and difficulties operationalizing the protocol.

CONCLUSION

A national survey of hernia surgeons demonstrated willingness to adopt PT and rehabilitation protocols in their clinical practices and noted a high perceived benefit to patients. However, lack of education and evidence regarding the protocol may represent important barriers to overcome in widely disseminating these resources to patients. These gaps can be addressed through dedicated educational venues and additional studies establishing PT and rehabilitation as critical future adjuncts for the recovery of hernia repair patients.

To Feed or Not to Feed - Nutritional Risk Assessment and Support in Elective Colorectal Surgery. A Prospective Study on the Effect of Screening

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignant tumor and resection remains the key element in its treatment. The correction of preoperative malnutrition reduces morbidity and mortality. Our study demonstrates a nutritional state mass screening protocol to steer nutritional support. Two hundred fifty-nine patients with planned colorectal resection were prospectively enrolled. Preoperative telemedicinal assessment determined the risk of malnutrition using Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS 2002) score. Patients with a score ≥3 were offered optimized oral nutritional supplement. Three groups were investigated. Group I (NRS 2002 < 3, n = 98) received no supplement. Group II- (NRS 2002 ≥ 3, n = 118) was offered but did not finally receive clinical nutrition. Group II+ (NRS 2002 ≥ 3, n = 43) accepted and received adequate clinical nutrition. 98 patients (37.8%) had no risk, 154 patients (59.5%) had increased risk and 7 (2.7%) had severe malnutrition. Severe complications (Clavien-Dindo >2) rate was similar in Group I (2%) and Group II+ (2.3%) with no mortality. Severe complications more often occurred in Group II- (5.1%) along with 1.7% mortality (p > 0.05). Length of stay was the highest in Group II- while the lowest in Group II+ (p < 0.01). Preoperative telemedicinal screening is applicable in identifying patients with malnutrition. NRS 2002 used by a nutritional team reduces length of stay.

'Fit for surgery': The relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and postoperative outcomes

New Findings

What is the topic of this review?

The relationships and physiological mechanisms underlying the clinical benefits of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in patients undergoing major intra‐abdominal surgery.

What advances does it highlight?

Elevated CRF reduces postoperative morbidity/mortality, thus highlighting the importance of CRF as an independent risk factor. The vascular protection afforded by exercise prehabilitation can further improve surgical risk stratification and postoperative outcomes.

Abstract

Surgery accounts for 7.7% of all deaths globally and the number of procedures is increasing annually. A patient's ‘fitness for surgery’ describes the ability to tolerate a physiological insult, fundamental to risk assessment and care planning. We have evolved as obligate aerobes that rely on oxygen (O₂). Systemic O₂ consumption can be measured via cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) providing objective metrics of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). Impaired CRF is an independent risk factor for mortality and morbidity. The perioperative period is associated with increased O₂ demand, which if not met leads to O₂ deficit, the magnitude and duration of which dictates organ failure and ultimately death. CRF is by far the greatest modifiable risk factor, and optimal exercise interventions are currently under investigation in patient prehabilitation programmes. However, current practice demonstrates potential for up to 60% of patients, who undergo preoperative CPET, to have their fitness incorrectly stratified. To optimise this work we must improve the detection of CRF and reduce potential for interpretive error that may misinform risk classification and subsequent patient care, better quantify risk by expressing the power of CRF to predict mortality and morbidity compared to traditional cardiovascular risk factors, and improve patient interventions with the capacity to further enhance vascular adaptation. Thus, a better understanding of CRF, used to determine fitness for surgery, will enable both clinicians and exercise physiologists to further refine patient care and management to improve survival.

Outcomes and risk factors for delayed-onset postoperative respiratory failure: a multi-center case-control study by the University of California Critical Care Research Collaborative (UC3RC)

BACKGROUND

Few interventions are known to reduce the incidence of respiratory failure that occurs following elective surgery (postoperative respiratory failure; PRF). We previously reported risk factors associated with PRF that occurs within the first 5 days after elective surgery (early PRF; E-PRF); however, PRF that occurs six or more days after elective surgery (late PRF; L-PRF) likely represents a different entity. We hypothesized that L-PRF would be associated with worse outcomes and different risk factors than E-PRF.

METHODS

This was a retrospective matched case-control study of 59,073 consecutive adult patients admitted for elective non-cardiac and non-pulmonary surgical procedures at one of five University of California academic medical centers between October 2012 and September 2015. We identified patients with L-PRF, confirmed by surgeon and intensivist subject matter expert review, and matched them 1:1 to patients who did not develop PRF (No-PRF) based on hospital, age, and surgical procedure. We then analyzed risk factors and outcomes associated with L-PRF compared to E-PRF and No-PRF.

RESULTS

Among 95 patients with L-PRF, 50.5% were female, 71.6% white, 27.4% Hispanic, and 53.7% Medicare recipients; the median age was 63 years (IQR 56, 70). Compared to 95 matched patients with No-PRF and 319 patients who developed E-PRF, L-PRF was associated with higher morbidity and mortality, longer hospital and intensive care unit length of stay, and increased costs. Compared to No-PRF, factors associated with L-PRF included: preexisiting neurologic disease (OR 4.36, 95% CI 1.81-10.46), anesthesia duration per hour (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.04-1.44), and maximum intraoperative peak inspiratory pressure per cm H₂0 (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.06-1.22).

CONCLUSIONS

We identified that pre-existing neurologic disease, longer duration of anesthesia, and greater maximum intraoperative peak inspiratory pressures were associated with respiratory failure that developed six or more days after elective surgery in adult patients (L-PRF). Interventions targeting these factors may be worthy of future evaluation.

Quality and clinical generalizability of feasibility outcomes in exercise prehabilitation before colorectal cancer surgery - A systematic review

Suboptimal quality of feasibility assessments might partially explain inconsistencies observed in the effectiveness of exercise prehabilitation before colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery. This systematic review aimed to assess the reporting quality and clinical generalizability of feasibility outcomes in feasibility studies addressing exercise prehabilitation before CRC surgery. PubMed/Medline, Embase, Cochrane, and CINAHL were searched to identify all feasibility studies focussing on exercise prehabilitation in CRC surgery. Reporting quality was assessed using the Thabane et al. checklist and the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials extension for feasibility studies. Clinical generalizability was evaluated by appraising patient participation in all steps of the study and intervention. Twelve studies were included. The main feasibility outcome in all studies was adherence to the intervention by the study sample. Based on adherence, 10 studies (83%) concluded exercise prehabilitation to be feasible. Six studies (50%) reported all details to assess patient participation showing retention rates between 18.4% and 58.2%, which was caused by non-participation and drop-out. Three feasibility studies (25%) discussed patient-reported barriers to participation and five additional studies (41%) described potential selection bias. Four studies (33%) reported lessons learned to solve issues hampering feasibility and clinical generalizability. Results suggest that true feasibility of exercise prehabilitation before CRC surgery remains questionable due to poor reporting quality, insufficient clarity regarding the representativeness of the study sample for the target population, and limited attention for clinical generalizability. Feasibility of exercise prehabilitation might be improved by offering supervised community- or home-based interventions tailored to the physical and mental abilities of the patient.

STRONG for Surgery & Strong for Life - against all odds: intensive prehabilitation including smoking, nutrition, alcohol and physical activity for risk reduction in cancer surgery - a protocol for an RCT with nested interview study (STRONG-Cancer)

Background

There is a large unused potential for risk reduction in the preoperative period via effective lifestyle intervention targeting co-existing risky lifestyles: Smoking, malNutrition, obesity, risky Alcohol intake and insufficient Physical activity (SNAP).

This trial compares the efficacy of the integrated STRONG programme with standard care on preoperative risk reduction and secondly on SNAP factor improvement and frailty, postoperative complications and quality of life. A nested interview study explores the patient preferences and the multi-perspective view of patients, relatives and health professionals.

Methods

In total, 42 surgical patients with ≥1 SNAP factor are allocated to individually tailored STRONG programme or usual care during adjuvant chemotherapy prior to radical bladder cancer surgery. The STRONG programme has ≥6 weekly sessions with patient education, motivational and pharmaceutical support. It is based on intensive smoking and alcohol cessation interventions reporting perioperative quit rates > 50%.

Surgical risk reduction is measured as ≥1 step for 1 or more risky lifestyles on the ASA-score, secondly as having no risky SNAP factors, and as any SNAP improvement. The outcomes are validated by measurements and biomarkers. Postoperative complications are categorised according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. Health-related quality of life is measured by EQ-5D.

The patients are followed up after 6 weeks at surgery and 6 weeks and 6 months postoperatively.

A representative sample of the participants, their relatives and the clinical staff are interviewed until data saturation. Transcription, triangulated analyses and data management are conducted using NVivo computer software.

Discussion

The surgical agenda is characterised by fixed dates for surgery focusing on clear risk reduction within a short time. This requires a clinical useful lifestyle intervention programme with a high effect and coverage as well as containing all SNAP factors and tailored to individual needs.

The STRONG programme seems to meet these requirements. After development in multi-professional collaboration, STRONG is delivered by a specially trained nurse as part of the surgical patient journey.

Overall, this study will bring important new knowledge about risk reduction in a frail patient group undergoing major cancer surgery.

Trial registration

Registration at www.clintrials.gov (NCT04088968)

The manuscript form from https://trialsjournal.biomedcentral.com/bmc/journal and the SPIRIT guidelines are followed.

Estimating VO2peak in 18–90 Year-Old Adults: Development and Validation of the FitMáx©-Questionnaire

Purpose

Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) plays an essential role in health outcomes and quality of life. However, it is often not assessed nor estimated. Objective CRF assessment is costly, labour intensive and not widely available. Patient-reported outcome measures estimate CRF more cost-efficiently, but current questionnaires lack accuracy. The aim of this study is to develop a new self-reported questionnaire to estimate CRF.

Materials and Methods

The FitMáx©-questionnaire, consisting of only three questions assessing walking, stair climbing, and cycling capacity, was compared with the commonly used Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) and Veterans Specific Activity Questionnaire (VSAQ). These questionnaires were compared to peak oxygen uptake (VO_2peak) as measured with cardiopulmonary exercise testing. This study included 759 cardiac, pulmonary and oncologic patients and healthy persons aged 18‒90.

Results

FitMáx© strongly correlated (r = 0.94 (0.92‒0.95) SEE = 4.14 mL∙kg⁻¹∙min⁻¹) with measured VO_2peak. Bias between predicted and measured VO_2peak was −0.24 (−9.23‒8.75; 95% limits of agreement) mL·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹. The FitMáx© scored superiorly on correlation and SEE compared with the DASI and VSAQ, r = 0.75 (0.68‒0.80) SEE = 4.62 mL∙kg⁻¹∙min⁻¹ and r = 0.87 (0.83‒0.90) SEE = 6.75 mL∙kg⁻¹∙min⁻¹, respectively.

Conclusion

FitMáx© is a valid and accessible questionnaire to estimate CRF expressed as VO_2peak in clinical practice and shows substantial improvement compared to currently used questionnaires.

Octogenarian patients with colon cancer - postoperative morbidity and mortality are the major challenges

Background

Few studies have addressed colon cancer surgery outcomes in an unselected cohort of octogenarian patients. The present study aimed to evaluate the relative survival of octogenarian patients after a major resection of colon cancer with a curative intent.

Methods

All patients diagnosed with colon cancer at Levanger Hospital between 1980 and 2016 were included. We performed logistic regression to test for associations between 90-day mortality and explanatory variables. We performed a relative survival analysis to identify factors associated with short- and long-term survival.

Results

Among 237 octogenarian patients treated with major resections with curative intent, the 90-day mortality was 9.3%. Among 215 patients that survived the first 90 days, the 5 year relative survival rate was 98.7%. The 90-day mortality of octogenarian patients was significantly higher than that of younger patients, but the long-term survival converged with that of younger patients. Among octogenarian patients, the incidence of colon cancer more than doubled during our 37-year observation period. The relative increase in patients undergoing surgery exceeded the increase in incidence; hence, more patients were selected for surgery over time. A high 90-day mortality was associated with older age, a high American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) score, and emergency surgery. Moreover, worse long-term survival was associated with a high Charlson Comorbidity Index, a high ASA score, a worse TNM stage, emergency surgery and residual tumours. Both the 90-day and long-term survival rates improved over time.

Conclusion

Among octogenarian patients with colon cancer that underwent major resections with curative intent, the 90-day mortality was high, but after surviving 90 days, the relative long-term survival rate was comparable to that of younger patients. Further improvements in survival will primarily require measures to reduce the 90-day mortality risk.

Analysis of Rates, Causes, and Risk Factors for 90-Day Readmission After Surgery for Large Hiatal Hernia: A Two-Center Study

Background: Hospital readmissions have become a more examined indicator of surgical care delivery and quality. There is scarcity of data in the literature on the rate, risk factors, and most common reasons of readmission following major hiatal hernia surgery. The primary endpoint was 90-day readmission after surgery for large hiatal hernia. Secondary endpoint was to examine which characteristics related with a higher risk of readmission. Methods: A retrospective review of two distinct institutional databases was performed for patients who had surgery for a large hiatal hernia between January 2012 and December 2019. Demographic, perioperative, and outpatient data were collected from the medical record. Results: A total of 71 patients met the inclusion criteria, most of them suffering from a type III hernia (66.2%). Mean operative time was 146 (±56.5) minutes and median length of stay (LOS) was 6 days (interquartile range = 3). The overall morbidity was 21.1% and the in-hospital mortality was 1.4%. The 30- and 90-day readmission rates were 7% and 8.5%, respectively. The mean time to readmission was 14.3 (±15.6) days. The reasons for 90-day hospital readmission were dysphagia (50%), pneumonia (16.7%), congestive heart failure (16.7%), and bowel obstruction (16.7%). Grade of esophagitis ≥2, presence of Barrett's esophagus, and LOS longer than 8 days were significant risk factors for unplanned readmission within 90 days. Conclusion: We observed that about 6 out of 71 patients who had surgery readmitted within 90 days (8.5%). Readmissions were most often linked to esophagitis ≥2, presence of Barrett's esophagus, and LOS longer than 8 days. These findings point to the necessity for focused treatments before, during, and after hospitalization to decrease morbidity and extra costs in this high-risk population.

Impact of Sarcopenia on Postoperative Complications in Obstructive Colorectal Cancer Patients Who Received Stenting as a Bridge to Curative Surgery

Objectives:

Understanding the relationship between sarcopenia and malignancy is increasingly important since they inevitably affect the aging population. We investigated the clinical significance of sarcopenia in nonmetastatic obstructive colorectal cancer (OCRC) patients who were inserted self-expandable metallic stent and underwent curative surgery.

Methods:

Plain cross-sectional CT images obtained before stenting were retrospectively analyzed in 92 patients. Muscle volume loss (myopenia) and decreased muscle quality (myosteatosis) were evaluated as skeletal muscle index (SMI) and intramuscular adipose tissue content (IMAC), respectively.

Results:

This study included 54 men and 38 women, with a median age of 70.5 years. The median interval between SEMS placement and the surgery was 17 days (range, 5-47). There were 35 postoperative complications. The median postoperative hospital stay was 15.5 days (range, 8-77). Twenty-eight patients (41.3%) were classified as SMI-low, and 31 (34.1%) patients were classified as IMAC-high. In multivariate analysis, IMAC-high [hazard ratio (HR) = 7.68, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.22-26.5, P = 0.001] and right-sided tumor (HR = 5.79, 95% CI 1.36-24.7, P = 0.018) were independent predictors of postoperative complications. IMAC-high (HR = 23.2, 95% CI 4.11-131, P < 0.001) and elevated modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS) (HR = 5.85, 95% CI 1.22-28.1, P = 0.027) were independent predictors of infectious complications. Relapse-free survival and overall survival were not significantly different regardless of the SMI or IMAC status.

Conclusions:

IMAC was associated with postoperative complications and infectious complications. Myosteatosis might be a stronger predictor of postoperative complications than myopenia.

Psychological Interventions Prior to Cancer Surgery: a Review of Reviews

Purpose of Review

Patients with cancer who have high levels of psychological distress have poor treatment compliance and worse outcomes. This “review of reviews” provides a narrative synthesis of the impact of psychological prehabilitation interventions on individuals awaiting cancer surgery.

Recent Findings

Twenty reviews of prehabilitation with psychological interventions were identified. There is a trend towards improved psychological outcomes following intervention, particularly when psychologist-led. However, there was considerable heterogeneity within interventions, outcome measures, and timing of assessment precluding numeric synthesis. Methodological limitations including non-blinding, absence of stratification, and underpowered studies were also pervasive.

Summary

Providing psychological support early in the cancer pathway and prior to surgery has the potential to improve psychological health and outcomes. The application of existing knowledge in psycho-oncology, including distress screening, is needed in the prehabilitation setting. Consistent outcome assessments, accurate reporting of intervention components and delivery methods, and a consideration of effective systems and economical implementation strategies would facilitate advancements in this field.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40140-021-00505-x.

Recommendations on Weight Loss and Healthy Lifestyle in Prostate Cancer Clinical Guidelines: A Systematic Review

Obesity is associated with negative prostate cancer outcomes (e.g., specific mortality, all-cause mortality, biochemical recurrence, etc.), according to the current scientific literature. Nevertheless, recommendations on weight loss and healthy lifestyles are poorly covered by clinicians. We aimed at identifying these recommendations from clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for prostate cancer. We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, guideline databases and online sources for CPGs updated from January 2015 to August 2021. The searches were independently conducted by two researchers, without language restrictions. A total of 97 prostate cancer guidelines, including 84 (86.6%) CPGs and 13 (13.4%) consensus statements, were included. Recommendations on reaching and maintaining a healthy weight or healthy lifestyles were provided by 7 (7.2%) and 13 (13.4%) documents, respectively. No differences regarding recommendations were found by type of document, year of publication or country. Our results suggest that professional societies and governments should update prostate cancer guidelines to include these recommendations for improving prostate cancer prognosis.

Clinical exercise provision in the UK: comparison of staff job titles, roles and qualifications across five specialised exercise services

Objectives

In the UK, the National Health Service long-term plan advocates exercise as a key component of clinical services, but there is no clearly defined workforce to deliver the plan. We aimed to provide an overview of current UK clinical exercise services, focusing on exercise staff job titles, roles and qualifications across cardiovascular, respiratory, stroke, falls and cancer services.

Methods

Clinical exercise services were identified electronically between May 2020 and September 2020 using publicly available information from clinical commissioning groups, national health boards and published audit data. Data relating to staff job titles, roles, qualifications and exercise delivery were collected via electronic records and telephone/email contact with service providers.

Results

Data were obtained for 731 of 890 eligible clinical services (216 cardiac, 162 respiratory, 129 stroke, 117 falls, 107 cancer). Cardiac rehabilitation services provided both clinical (phase III) and community (phase IV) exercise interventions delivered by physiotherapists, exercise physiologists (exercise specific BSc/MSc) and exercise instructors (vocationally qualified with or without BSc/MSc). Respiratory, stroke and falls services provided a clinical exercise intervention only, mostly delivered by physiotherapists and occupational therapists. Cancer services provided a community exercise service only, delivered by vocationally qualified exercise instructors. Job titles of ‘exercise physiologists’ (n=115) bore little alignment to their qualifications, with a large heterogeneity across services.

Conclusion

In the UK, clinical exercise services job titles, roles and qualifications were inconsistent. Regulation of exercise job titles and roles is required to remove the current disparities in this area.

Fit for Surgery—feasibility of short-course multimodal individualized prehabilitation in high-risk frail colon cancer patients prior to surgery

Background

Prehabilitation is a promising modality for improving patient-related outcomes after major surgery; however, very little research has been done for those who may need it the most: the elderly and the frail. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of a short course multimodal prehabilitation prior to primary surgery in high-risk, frail patients with colorectal cancer and WHO performance status I and II.

Methods

The study was conducted as a single-center, prospective one-arm feasibility study of eight patients with colon cancer between October 4, 2018, and January 14, 2019. The intervention consisted of a physical training program tailored to the patients with both high-intensity interval training and resistance training three times a week in sessions of approximately 1 h in length, for a duration of at least 4 weeks, nutritional support with protein and vitamins, a consultation with a dietician, and medical optimization prior to surgery. Feasibility was evaluated regarding recruitment, retention, compliance and adherence, acceptability, and safety. Retention was evaluated as the number of patients that completed the intervention, with a feasibility goal of 75% completing the intervention. Compliance with the high-intensity training was evaluated as the number of sessions in which the patient achieved a minimum of 4 min > 90% of their maximum heart rate and adherence as the attended out of the offered training sessions.

Results

During the study period, 64 patients were screened for eligibility, and out of nine eligible patients, eight patients were included and seven completed the intervention (mean age 80, range 66–88). Compliance to the high-intensity interval training using 90% of maximum heart rate as the monitor of intensity was difficult to measure in several patients; however, adherence to the training sessions was 87%. Compliance with nutritional support was 57%. Half the patients felt somewhat overwhelmed by the multiple appointments and six out of seven reported difficulties with the dosage of protein.

Conclusions

This one-arm feasibility study indicates that multimodal prehabilitation including high-intensity interval training can be performed by patients with colorectal cancer and WHO performance status I and II.

Trial registration

Clinicaltrials.gov: the study current feasibility study was conducted prior to the initiation of a full ongoing randomized trial registered by NCT04167436; date of registration: November 18, 2019. Retrospectively registered. No separate prospectively registration of the feasibility trial was conducted but outlined by the approved study protocol (Danish Scientific Ethical Committee SJ-607).

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40814-022-00967-8.

Does Preoperative Cognitive Optimization Improve Postoperative Outcomes in the Elderly?

Perioperative neurocognitive disorder (PND) is a growing concern, affecting several million elderly patients each year in the United States, but strategies for its effective prevention have not yet been established. Humeidan et al. recently demonstrated that preoperative brain exercise resulted in a decrease in postoperative delirium incidence in elderly surgical patients, suggesting the potential of presurgical cognitive optimization to improve postoperative cognitive outcomes. This brief review summarizes the current knowledge regarding preoperative cognitive optimization and highlights landmark studies, as well as current ongoing studies, as the field is rapidly growing. This review further discusses the benefit of cognitive training in non-surgical elderly populations and the role of cognitive training in patients with preexisting cognitive impairment or dementia. The review also examines preclinical evidence in support of cognitive training, which can facilitate understanding of brain plasticity and the pathophysiology of PND. The literature suggests positive impacts of presurgical cognitive optimization, but further studies are encouraged to establish effective cognitive training programs for elderly presurgical patients.