Preliminary evidence for physical activity following pelvic exenteration: a pilot longitudinal cohort study

BACKGROUND: The physical activity (PA) level of patients undergoing major cancer surgery remains unclear. This pilot study aimed to: (i) Compare preoperative PA level between patients undergoing major cancer surgery and the general population; (ii) describe PA trajectories following major cancer surgery; (iii) Compare objective versus subjective PA measures in patients undergoing major cancer surgery; and (iv) Investigate the association between preoperative PA level and postoperative outcomes. METHODS: Patients undergoing pelvic exenteration between September/2016 and September/2017 were included and followed at preoperative, 6-weeks and 6-months postoperative. PA was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short-Form and McRoberts activity monitor. Analyses were performed using SPSS. RESULTS: This pilot study included 16 patients. When compared to the general population, patients undergoing major cancer surgery presented a reduced preoperative PA level. PA levels decreased at 6 weeks but returned to preoperative levels at 6 months postoperative. Objective and subjective measures of PA were comparable, with some variables presenting strong correlations. A higher preoperative level PA was associated with an absence of postoperative complications and better quality of life outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing major cancer surgery demonstrated lower PA levels when compared to the general population. PA trajectories decreased at 6 weeks postoperative, returning to preoperative levels within 6-months. In this cohort, it seems that higher preoperative PA level may improve postoperative surgical outcomes; however, this preliminary evidence should be confirmed in a larger cohort.