Patients who are physically fitter cope with, and recover from, surgery better and previous research has shown that intensive exercise programmes overseen by a multi-disciplinary team have been extremely successful with small groups of cancer patients.
Patients who complete exercise training programmes have returned to pre-treatment levels of fitness, or even improved and gained a healthier lifestyle. In comparison, those who didn’t complete training found that their fitness levels dropped after chemotherapy or remained relatively similar to before treatment.
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What does the programme include?
This is a supervised exercise programme that will be undertaken in the weeks leading up to your surgery. You will be invited to attend the clinic at Plymouth Marjon University where our expert team will look after you and deliver this programme, the clinical team will individually prescribe the exercise intensity for you, based on the results of your initial CPET (the fitness test that surgical patients undergo on first being referred to surgery), to ensure this programme is perfectly tailored to you.
Most programmes will include two or three visits a week to our clinic over a period of three weeks or longer. During your sessions you will undertake a form of interval training, in which periods of “work” are broken up with periods of rest. The exercise will be undertaken on a bike similar to the one used in your CPET.
How do people get on the programme?
The multi-disciplinary teams at Derriford Hospital will make referral decisions based on individual need and this service might be part of the treatment pathway that they have put together. By receiving a referral to this programme you have been deemed appropriate in terms of clinical need and capacity to take part.
When is it?
The sessions take place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 0930 until 1230.
Where is it?
The sessions will take place at Plymouth Marjon University in a part of the University Sports Centre. Find us here.
There are many buses available, free car parking for people on this programme and a great cafe and changing facilities if you need them.
Who is delivering the programme?
The programme is a multi-disciplinary project that is overseen by senior NHS consultants. At Marjon, we have more than ten years of experience of working with patients with a wide range of diseases and conditions, much of that with cancer patients.
Katie Bounsall – Lead Practitioner, Prehab Project
Sam Vaughan – Clinic Manager
Ben Jane – Senior Lecturer, Academic Lead – Prehab Project
How do I find out more about the programme?
Our FAQ page has more information that might be of use to you.
You can contact us at Prehab@marjon.ac.uk
Click here to see to read the Welcome leaflet shown below
Find out more by watching a video
When Bob Tucker was diagnosed with bowel cancer, he was told he’d need surgery. Before his operation, the 84 year old prepared by starting a fitness regime at his local gym in Dorset.
This news story from BBC South Today is about one man’s experience of undertaking a similar prehab programme to this one.
Our other Physical Activity Programmes for those living with and beyond a Cancer Diagnosis
Our sister Prehab programme – Wesfit
More Advanced Reading
Macmillan Cancer Support: Prehabilitation Evidence and Insight Review (2017)
West, M. A., Wischmeyer, P. E., & Grocott, M. P. (2017). Prehabilitation and nutritional support to improve perioperative outcomes. Current anesthesiology reports, 7(4), 340-349. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5696441/
Much more published research can be found here