Impact of a Multidisciplinary Cancer Rehabilitation Program on Patient Outcomes

Research Objectives: To evaluate the impact of a multidisciplinary cancer rehabilitation program on physical function, cognitive ability, emotional well-being, and quality of life in post-treatment cancer survivors.
The goal is to determine if structured rehabilitation leads to better outcomes compared to standard care.

Design: Its a prospective, randomized controlled trial design.
Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the control group.
Assessments were conducted at three time points: before the program,12 weeks, and 3 months.

Setting: The study was carried out in an outpatient cancer rehabilitation centre in India.
The centre offered specialized post-cancer recovery services with an interdisciplinary team.

Participants: A total of 120 cancer survivors who had completed primary cancer treatments (surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation) were recruited.
Participants ranged in age from 35 to 70, breast, colorectal, and lung cancer survivors.
Inclusion criteria required participants to have functional limitations ,

Interventions: • Physical Therapy: Strength, endurance, and balance exercises tailored to individual needs.
• Cognitive Rehabilitation: Training sessions to address cognitive impairments, such as memory, attention, and executive function deficits (commonly referred to as “chemo brain”).
• Psychological Counselling: Group therapy and individual sessions to manage emotional distress, anxiety, and depression.
• Nutritional Counselling: Dietary modifications to promote weight management and address treatment-related side effects.
• Occupational Therapy: Strategies to facilitate return to work and activities of daily living.

Main Outcome Measures: • Physical Function: Measured through a 6-minute walk test and handgrip strength.
• Cognitive Function: Assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).
• Emotional Well-being: Measured via the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).
• Quality of Life (QoL): Assessed using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QoL Questionnaire.

Results: • The intervention group showed a 40% improvement in physical endurance and a 35% reduction in fatigue compared to the control group (p < 0.01). • Cognitive scores improved by 20% in the intervention group, particularly in memory and executive function (p < 0.05).
• Anxiety and depression levels decreased by 30%, significantly enhancing emotional well-being (p < 0.01).
• Quality of life scores in the rehabilitation group were 25% higher than in the control group post-intervention and maintained at 3 months.

Conclusions: A multidisciplinary cancer rehabilitation program significantly enhances physical, cognitive, and emotional outcomes in cancer survivors. This structured approach improves quality of life and promotes faster reintegration into daily activities. Such programs should be integrated into post-cancer care as standard practice.

Author(s) Disclosures: no conflicts of interest to disclose.