Prehab for Cancer Surgery

Surgical prehabilitation is the process of enhancing one's physical function and mental capacity to enable him/or her to withstand the stressor of surgery. Prehabilitation can be achieved via optimizing physical fitness, nutrition, and psychological health. Studies have shown that prehabilitation may prevent complications during and after surgery, reduce hospital length of stay, and improve postoperative recovery. Despite the growing interest in the field of prehabilitation, little is understood about how to implement prehabilitation an integrated clinical service. This study will examine the effect of a prehabilitation program that includes exercise, psychological, and nutritional optimization that emulates clinical integration pathways. Participants of this study will have a choice of participating in facility-based prehabilitation (FBP) or home-based prehabilitation (HBP) depending on their needs/accessibility to the Toronto General Hospital. Participant outcomes will be measured using standardized fitness testing, self-report questionnaires, and medical record reviews at baseline, one week preoperatively, and at 30 and 90 days postoperatively. A comprehensive assessment of feasibility will also be conducted to better understand facilitators and barriers to clinical integration.