Multimodal prehabilitation improves functional capacity in patients with advanced ovarian cancer undergoing cytoreductive surgery.

Objective: Prehabilitation, defined as the preparatory intervention to increase patient preparedness in the lead-up to surgery, has shown a decrease in post-operative complications in various types of surgery. However, there is limited evidence in advanced ovarian cancer surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the benefits of multimodal prehabilitation in advanced ovarian cancer patients in terms of improving physical functioning, body composition, and psychological well-being during the pre-operative period.

Methods: This single-center, ambispective study included patients with advanced ovarian cancer eligible for primary or interval cytoreductive surgery. Participants attended a multimodal prehabilitation program comprising medical optimization, supervised exercise training, nutritional counseling and supplementation, and psychological support. Functional capacity, nutritional status, and psychological well-being were assessed before the start of the program and before surgery.

Results: 62 patients were referred for the multimodal prehabilitation program from July 2019 to May 2023. Median adherence to the training program reached 75% (IQR 58-87%). 35 patients (59%) were evaluated pre-operatively. Patients attended a median of 8 (IQR 6-12) supervised exercise training sessions with no differences between those who underwent primary or interval cytoreductive surgery (p=0.80). A significant improvement was observed in functional capacity according to the 6 min walk test (mean 33.1 m, 95% CI 10.5 to 55.5) as well as in the 30 s sit-to-stand test (+3.3 repetitions, 95% CI 1.8 to 4.8), with both being above the minimal clinically important difference of 14 m and two repetitions, respectively. Patients also reported a significant decrease in depression, anxiety, and total scores of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

Conclusions: Multimodal prehabilitation in patients with advanced ovarian cancer undergoing cytoreductive surgery improves pre-operative physical functioning and decreases emotional distress. Further controlled studies with a larger sample size are warranted to corroborate improvement in functional capacity, body composition, and psychological well-being through prehabilitation programs.