Abstract

A growing number of patients affected by cancer and its treatments need to improve their physical wellbeing and quality of life. To address these vital needs, cancer rehabilitation programs have been developed to help with the patients’ symptom burden and physical and
psychological status. However, these programs are missing a personalized patient assessment and a systematic categorical intake system placing patients into rehabilitation pathways based upon disease severity. This study retrospectively evaluated the impact of the interdisciplinary
Cancer Rehabilitation (CARE) Program on health-related quality of life, by monitoring the following assessments: the abridged Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment,
Edmonton Symptom Assessment System, Fatigue Symptom Inventory, Distress Screening Tool, and the Modified Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors. Cancer outpatients (n=115) were divided into three pathways (Restorative, Supportive or Cachexia) based on their prognosis and needs. The assessments were measured between and within each pathway; at baseline, pre-post program and over time. Baseline differences by pathway were determined by a series of general linear models. Mixed models were used to examine time
differences from pre-post program in all pathways and, as a function of pathway over follow up visits. Overall, patients showed a significant improvement in total malnutrition score and a trend of progress for appetite status, on the account of the program. Quality of life and symptom
profile varied across cancer patients at different stages of their disease. Interdisciplinary cancer rehabilitation programs need to be organized around those characteristics to personalize their interventions and significantly improve patient quality of life.