Background: Esophageal cancer and curative treatment have a significant impact on the physical fitness of patients. Knowledge about the course of physical fitness during neoadjuvant therapy and esophagectomy is helpful to determine the needs for interventions during and after curative treatment. This study aims to review the current evidence on the impact of curative treatment on the physical fitness of patients with esophageal cancer. Methods: A systematic literature search of PubMed, Embase, Cinahl and the Cochrane Library was conducted up to March 29, 2021. We included observational studies investigating the change of physical fitness (including exercise capacity, muscle strength, physical activity and activities of daily living) from pre-to post-neoadjuvant therapy and/or from pre-to post-esophagectomy. Quality of the studies was assessed and a meta-analysis was performed using standardized mean differences. Results: Twenty-seven articles were included. After neoadjuvant therapy, physical fitness decreased significantly. In the first three months after surgery, physical fitness was also significantly decreased compared to preoperative values. Subgroup analysis showed a restore in exercise capacity three months after surgery in patients who followed an exercise program. Six months after surgery, there was limited evidence that exercise capacity restored to preoperative values. Conclusion: Curative treatment seems to result in a decrease of physical fitness in patients with esophageal cancer, up to three months postoperatively. Six months postoperatively, results were conflicting. In patients who followed a pre- or postoperative exercise program, the postoperative impact of curative treatment seems to be less.
BACKGROUND: The mainstay of colorectal cancer care is surgical resection, which carries a significant risk of complications. Efforts to improve outcomes have recently focused on intensive multimodal prehabilitation programs to better prepare patients for surgery, which make the perioperative process even more complex and demanding for patients. Digital applications (eCoaches) seem promising tools to guide patients during their care journey. We developed a comprehensive eCoach to support, guide, and monitor patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery through the perioperative phase of the care pathway.OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of this study was to determine its feasibility, in terms of recruitment rate, retention rate, and compliance. Also, usability and patient experience were examined.METHODS: A single-center cohort study was conducted from April to September 2023 in a tertiary teaching hospital in the Netherlands. All elective colorectal surgery patients were offered an eCoach that provided preoperative coaching of the prehabilitation protocol, guidance by giving timely information, and remote monitoring of postoperative recovery and complications. Recruitment and retention rate, as well as compliance for each part of the care pathway, were determined. Secondary, patient-reported usability measured by the Usefulness, Satisfaction, and Ease of Use questionnaire and patient experiences were reported.RESULTS: The recruitment rate for the eCoach was 74% (49/66). Main reasons for exclusion were digital illiteracy (n=10), not owning a smartphone (n=3), and the expected burden of use being too high (n=2). The retention rate was 80% (37/46). Median preoperative compliance with required actions in the app was 92% (IQR 87-95), and postoperative compliance was 100% (IQR 100-100). Patient-reported usability was good and patient experiences were mostly positive, although several suggestions for improvement were reported.CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate the feasibility of a comprehensive eCoach for guiding and monitoring patients undergoing colorectal surgery encompassing the entire perioperative pathway, including prehabilitation and postdischarge monitoring. Compliance was excellent for all phases of the care pathway and recruitment and retention rates were comparable with rates reported in the literature. The study findings provide valuable insights for the further development of the eCoach and highlight the potential of digital health applications in perioperative support.
Background: Major surgery is associated with negative postoperative outcomes such as complications and delayed or poor recovery. Multimodal prehabilitation can help to reduce the negative effects of major surgery. Offering prehabilitation by means of mobile health (mHealth) could be an effective new approach. Objective: The objectives of this pilot study were to (1) evaluate the usability of the Be Prepared mHealth app prototype for people undergoing major surgery, (2) explore whether the app was capable of bringing about a change in risk behaviors, and (3) estimate a preliminary effect of the app on functional recovery after major surgery. Methods: A mixed-methods pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted in two Dutch academic hospitals. In total, 86 people undergoing major surgery participated. Participants in the intervention group received access to the Be Prepared app, a smartphone app using behavior change techniques to address risk behavior prior to surgery. Both groups received care as usual. Usability (System Usability Scale), change in risk behaviors 3 days prior to surgery, and functional recovery 30 days after discharge from hospital (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System physical functioning 8-item short form) were assessed using online questionnaires. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multivariable linear regression. Semistructured interviews about the usability of the app were conducted with 12 participants in the intervention group. Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. Results: Seventy-nine people-40 in the intervention group and 39 in the control group-were available for further analysis. Participants had a median age of 61 (interquartile range 51.0-68.0) years. The System Usability Scale showed that patients considered the Be Prepared app to have acceptable usability (mean 68.2 [SD 18.4]). Interviews supported the usability of the app. The major point of improvement identified was further personalization of the app. Compared with the control group, the intervention group showed an increase in self-reported physical activity and muscle strengthening activities prior to surgery. Also, 2 of 2 frequent alcohol users in the intervention group versus 1 of 9 in the control group drank less alcohol in the run-up to surgery. No difference was found in change of smoking cessation. Between-group analysis showed no meaningful differences in functional recovery after correction for baseline values (β=-2.4 [95% CI -5.9 to 1.1]). Conclusions: The Be Prepared app prototype shows potential in terms of usability and changing risk behavior prior to major surgery. No preliminary effect of the app on functional recovery was found. Points of improvement have been identified with which the app and future research can be optimized. Trial Registration: Netherlands Trial Registry NL8623; https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/8623.
