Prehabilitation During Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for Rectal Cancer

This study is a prospective, single-center, randomized control trial. Including criteria were (1) Age between 18 and 80 years; (2) Histologically confirmed rectal adenocarcinoma；(3) Performance status (ECOG) 0-2; (4) Undergoing/scheduled for neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy lasting at least 4 weeks. (5) Fried frailty score ≥2. Patients operated as emergency, pregnant or with comodities constraining physical exercise or causing disturbance of consciousness are excluded.

All particapants were recruited and randomly assigned to receive trimodel prehabilitation program or standard care. All patients were treated with an ERAS protocol. The primary end-point is postoperative complications within 30 days. Complications were diagnosed and classified according to the Clavien-Dindo classification and comprehensive complication index was calculated. The secondary end-points were functional walking capacity, hospital length of stay, nutrition status, patient-reported health related quality of life and immune function markers. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. Written informed consent was obtained for patients to participate the study. This study followed the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) reporting guideline.

Inclusion criteria

• Patients with rectal cancer undergoing/scheduled for neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy
• Fried Frailty score≥2 (intermediately frail or frail)
• Written consent informed

Exclusion criteria

• Co-morbiditie contraindicating physical exercise or causing disturbances of conciousness (dementia, Parkinson Disease, previous stroke with paresis, taking carbidopa/levodopa, donepezil or antidepressants)
• Emergent surgery
• ASA grade IV-V
• Pregnancy (absence confirmed by serum/urine β-HCG) or breast-feeding
• Known drug abuse/ alcohol abuse