Could Pre-Rehabilitation Commence before Diagnosis?
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Could Pre-Rehabilitation Commence before Diagnosis? A Mixed Methods Feasibility Study. Parts 1 and 2: An exploration into patients' perceived preferences for, barriers to and enablers of exercise-related health promotion when under investigation for Head and Neck abnormalities.
IRAS ID
224093
Contact name
Gareth Jones
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, days
Research summary
Pre-rehabilitation (pre-hab) aims to build a patient up for an expected healthcare challenge, thereby reducing treatment impact. Pre-hab may halt or reverse deterioration already experienced by cancer patients prior to treatment. The majority of exercise pre-hab studies with cancer patients involve lung or colorectal cancer. These studies had time (approximately 4-8 weeks) for exercise induced changes to occur; e.g. during preparatory chemotherapy before surgery. However, with head and neck cancer patients, the time from diagnosis to treatment is too short (a median of 17 days) to reliably allow exercise to be effective. So, the question was posed; could pre-rehabilitation commence before diagnosis, for example at biopsy? It would then be a health-promotion intervention rather than pre-habilitation. The potential health benefits are just as applicable to those that don’t go on to receive a cancer diagnosis as those that do, and could in-fact incite healthy behaviours in patients with risk-factors for deterioration.
But what should this intervention look like for these people? Are there any special considerations that should be made? Would it be acceptable to them?
To answer these questions, the current study is proposed, in part fulfilment of a Masters in Clinical Research.
Initially, 50-100 questionnaires will explore patients’ preferences for exercise-related health-promotion, and what factors they believe would hinder or help them taking part. Participants will be volunteers, identified over 2-4 months, from those referred for biopsy at the Head and Neck Clinic in the regional Cancer Centre, Foundation Hospital. To put their views into context, a number of patient-related factors (e.g. physical health status, symptom rating) will also be collected and examined.
6-13 purposively selected respondents will be invited for interview to explore the topics in greater depth.The information gained will enable ongoing work to design an appropriate physical-activity or exercise intervention to trial in a future pilot-study.
REC name
South West - Central Bristol Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/SW/0099
Date of REC Opinion
9 May 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion