Cancer rehabilitation: a barometer for survival?

Support Care Cancer

Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Services & St Vincent's Pain Service, St Vincent's Hospital, Sacred Heart Building, Level 3, 170 Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia,

Published: October 2015

Purpose: This pilot study was conducted to describe the clinical features and functional outcomes of patients attending inpatient rehabilitation for cancer-related deconditioning and neurological deficits and to explore factors associated with improved survival.

Methods: Using a retrospective audit, demographic characteristics, discharge outcomes, survival time, and functional status as measured by Functional Independence Measure (FIM) were recorded for 73 patients. Clinical status was estimated by Karnofsky Performance Status Scale (KPS). Cox regression was used to assess factors associated with improved survival following discharge from rehabilitation.

Results: Significant functional gains following rehabilitation were observed in total FIM (p = 0.02), motor FIM (p = 0.001), and KPS (p = 0.003). Length of survival ranged from 9.0 to 25.0 months, with 26 cases surviving to the end of study (censored). Patients scoring a total FIM of ≥80 survived significantly longer than patients scoring <80 (p = 0.002). At discharge, motor FIM scores (p = 0.004), FIM Efficiency (p = 0.001), KPS scores (p = 0.022), ambulation ability (p = 0.026), return to home (p = 0.009), and receipt of in-home services (p = 0.045) were significantly associated with improved survival.

Conclusions: Functional improvement achieved through inpatient rehabilitation was associated with prolonged survival among cancer patients. Rehabilitation leading to improved independence among cancer patients may act as a marker of those with greater likelihood of better prognosis.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00520-015-2673-1DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

factors associated
8
associated improved
8
total fim
8
patients scoring
8
cancer rehabilitation
4
rehabilitation barometer
4
barometer survival?
4
survival? purpose
4
purpose pilot
4
pilot study
4

Similar Publications

Background: Most infants born to women living with HIV (WLH) are HIV-exposed but uninfected exposed infants have poorer growth than HIV-unexposed uninfected children. Few large studies have compared children who are exposed (CHEU) and unexposed (CHUU) in the era of dolutegravir (DTG)-based antiretroviral treatment (ART).

Setting: Longitudinal study of mother-infant CHEU and CHUU pairs in Nairobi and Western Kenya.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS) Index is a summary measure of routinely obtained clinical variables that predicts numerous health outcomes. Since there are currently no tools to predict acute kidney injury (AKI) in persons with HIV (PWH), we investigated the association of preadmission VACS Index with hospital AKI in PWH.

Methods: We conducted an observational study of PWH hospitalized in a New York City health system between 2010-2019.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: To evaluate various oral functions in patients with jaw defects after oral tumour surgery and to clarify factors associated with their quality of life (QoL).

Background: In patients with jaw defects, oral function and QoL are severely impaired. No studies have evaluated oral functions of patients with jaw defects and examined their relationships with QoL.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Odds of Metastatic Disease at Diagnosis of Primary Bone and Soft-Tissue Sarcomas of the Extremity and Pelvis Based on Preferred Language and Socioeconomic Factors.

J Am Acad Orthop Surg

December 2024

From the Vagelos College of Physicians of Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY (Garcia), and Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY (Tyler).

Introduction: The odds of metastatic disease at diagnosis of bone (BS) and soft-tissue sarcomas (STS) of the extremities and pelvis may vary among patients due to several factors. There is limited research comparing the rates of metastatic disease at diagnosis in patients from different demographic and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Methods: Patients with a primary BS or STS of the extremity or pelvis were identified using International Classification of Diseases codes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Periventricular anastomosis (PA), a recently recognized cause of hemorrhage in moyamoya disease, is reducible after bypass surgery. The timing of the reduction, however, remains poorly understood. The objectives of the present study were to demonstrate radiological reduction of PA occurring within 48 hours after surgery and to identify factors associated with reduction.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!