A prehabilitation treatment is commonly done with orthopedic patients - before they are to proceed with an operation, they undergo physical preparations for what's ahead.
These days, the same idea is being adapted in prehabilation centers for cancer patients. Many join the programs to prepare themselves physically and mentally, as prehabilation aims to reduce other health problems that could arise from the cancer treatments.
Earlier researches have pointed out that prehabilation for cancer helps patients increase their tolerance for medications. This allows some patients to recover and resume to their normal activities more quickly than those who have not undergone prehab.
Yet, the concept behind prehab for cancer is still in its early stages, according to the Washington Post. Its impact has yet to be outlined and determined in further studies.
"It's really the philosophy of rehab, rebranded," said Samman Shahpar, a physiatrist at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, via the news outlet.
In a cancer prehab, patients undergo an exercise program that will build up strength endurance and cardiorespiratory health so that they are better able to handle radiation and chemotherapy treatments. Some programs also include psychological and nutritional guidance.
"Prehab could be a relatively cheap way to get people ready for cancer treatment and surgery, both of them stressors," said Francesco Carli, a professor of anesthesiology at McGill University in Montreal, who was part of the study on prehab cancer program last year.
But there are medical experts who still don't think that prehab has its benefits, because there are not enough studies to support its efficiency.
Aside from this, patients may also encounter problems with their prehab treatments and their insurance coverage, as prehab is more commonly applied for physical and occupational therapy patients, not cancer patients.
"What we need is a system that systemically screens people for problems with physical and mental health that is then coordinated with their oncology care," said Catherine Alfano of the American Cancer Society in the Washington Post report.
For now, prehab services are done through recommendations. "What we know from the literature is that 65 to 90 percent of cancer patients could benefit from rehab services, but delivery of those services is often less than 5 percent," said Julie Silver, a professor at Harvard Medical School, according to PBS Newshour. Silver is one of the founders of Survivorship Training and Rehab or STAR, which coordinates with prehab facilities.
