Pre-Rehabilitation for Female Patients Undergoing Pelvic Radiotherapy

Because of the increasing survivorship rate, there is a need for research addressing the post-treatment side effects of pelvic pain and dyspareunia, due to the significant impact these side effects have on patients' quality of life. Current best practice from trained pelvic health physical therapists for addressing dyspareunia and pelvic pain due to vaginal stenosis after radiation therapy, is vaginal dilation. Vaginal dilators are cone shaped durable medical equipment that are inserted into the vagina with lubricant, to assist in patency of the vaginal canal and stretching of the pelvic floor muscles.

The primary objective of this pilot clinical trial is to assess the feasibility of implementing a collaborative, coordinated, and multidisciplinary initiative between radiation oncology and pelvic health physical therapy to answer the following questions: 1) What are the barriers and facilitators to the implementation of a pre-rehabilitation service for gynecological and female anal cancer patients undergoing pelvic radiation and 2) What is the potential clinical value of adding pre-rehabilitative pelvic health services, with an emphasis on vaginal dilator education and use, to the gynecological and female anal cancer radiation setting, in collaboration with radiation oncology staff, as a means of reducing pelvic pain and dyspareunia?

Inclusion criteria

• Female
• ≥ 18 years old at the time of informed consent
• Ability to provide written informed consent and HIPAA authorization
• Primary diagnosis of cervical, vaginal, vulvar, uterine, or anal cancer
• Candidate for curative pelvic radiation with external beam, with or without brachytherapy, per radiation oncologist's discretion

Notes:

• Can have prior and/or current modalities of treatment to address diagnosis including surgery and chemotherapy
• Can receive radiation at any facility provided patient is able to perform Physical Therapy visits at IUH North/Schwarz Cancer Center

Exclusion criteria

• Major medical illnesses or psychiatric impairments, which in the investigator's opinion will prevent administration or completion of the protocol therapy and/or interfere with follow-up.
• Not a candidate for curative radiation therapy per radiation oncologist's discretion
• Prior radiation therapy to the pelvis
• Women who are pregnant or nursing