Assessing Immune Fitness in Oncological Rehabilitation-Validity and Responsiveness of the Immune Status Questionnaire and Single-Item Scale.

BACKGROUND: Immune fitness (IF) reflects the body’s ability to mount appropriate immune responses. Monitoring IF could improve tailored treatment in oncological rehabilitation. The Immune Status Questionnaire (ISQ) and the Single-Item Scale (SIS) were developed to assess IF, but their clinimetric properties in cancer rehabilitation remain unknown. AIMS: To evaluate the construct validity, responsiveness, and correlation between the ISQ and the …

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Integrating Physiatry and Palliative Care in Outpatient Oncology: A Clinical Framework for Bidirectional Referral and Co-Management.

Patients with cancer often experience intertwined symptom burden and functional decline that contribute to falls, unsafe transfers, uncontrolled symptoms, caregiver strain, and crisis-driven care. Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R), also known as physiatry, and specialty PC both address suffering and quality of life through complementary clinical approaches; however, collaborative care with and between these two specialties is inconsistent in routine …

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Exploring the Feasibility, Acceptability, and Safety of a 4:3 Intermittent Fasting Weight Loss Program Among Stage I-III Breast Cancer Survivors With Overweight or Obesity: Protocol for a 6-Month Proof-of-Concept Feasibility Trial.

BACKGROUND: Mounting evidence underscores the adverse effects of excess body weight during cancer survivorship, yet many breast cancer survivors struggle to maintain a healthy weight (approximately 70% have overweight or obesity [OW/OB]). Daily caloric restriction with increased physical activity is the standard behavioral weight loss approach; however, many fail to achieve clinically meaningful (>5%) weight loss, emphasizing the need for …

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Chronic pain and fatigue in multiple osteochondroma and Ollier disease, a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Multiple osteochondromas (MO) and Ollier disease are characterized by multiple tumours in the skeletal bones. They lead to bone deformity, restricted joint motion, interference with skeletal growth and increased risk of malignant transformation. The aim of this systematic review is to increase knowledge on chronic pain and fatigue in these diagnoses and identify gaps and topics for future research. …

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Individualized Physiotherapy Improves Quality of Life and Symptom Burden in Advanced Cancer: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Patients with advanced cancer frequently experience high symptom burden and reduced quality of life. Physiotherapy may represent an important nonpharmacological component of palliative care; however, evidence regarding its effectiveness in hospitalized patients remains limited. This study evaluated the effects of individualized physiotherapy on quality of life and symptom burden in hospitalized patients with advanced cancer receiving palliative …

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The correlation between pain and function in cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND: Function is critically important to cancer survivors, who are at risk of losing independence and mobility. But relatively, little is known about how pain, a widely prevalent symptom, contributes to functional decline. Understanding this may lead to earlier intervention and improved clinical outcomes. METHODS: Four hundred eighty-eight participants across five cancer centers with rehabilitation clinics completed the PROMIS Cancer …

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Efficacy of an exercise oncology program on sleep quality and circadian rhythm in head and neck cancer patients undergoing chemo-radiation therapy: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Head and neck cancer (HNC) presents a significant challenge in oncology. It has high prevalence rates, especially in India, where 30-40% of cancer cases are attributed to HNC. While chemotherapy and radiation therapy are essential components of treatment, they often lead to significant sleep disturbances that negatively impact patients’ quality of life and the effectiveness of their treatment. These …

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Effectiveness of a Home-Based and Group-Based Tele-Exercise Program for Breast Cancer Survivors: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer remains the most prevalent cancer among women globally. Adjuvant therapies can cause adverse effects that compromise physical and mental health. Exercise may mitigate these effects; however, many breast cancer survivors remain insufficiently active. OBJECTIVE: This pilot study aimed to test the effectiveness of a 7-week theory-informed tele-exercise intervention for breast cancer survivors in Hong Kong. METHODS: We …

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Associations between preoperative weight and body composition changes and surgical outcomes in patients with obesity and gastrointestinal cancer: a protocol for a prospective observational study in the active together cancer prehabilitation service.

INTRODUCTION: The impact of preoperative weight loss and body composition changes on surgical and patient-reported outcomes remains unclear in gastrointestinal cancer patients. Prehabilitation programmes integrating exercise, nutrition and psychological support can improve surgical readiness and recovery but the role of body mass and composition changes within such services is not well understood. This study aims to investigate the associations between …

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Physiotherapy in the primary care oncology team.

As the incidence of cancer rises, medical advancements have made it possible to have increased survival rates among cancer patients. However, many experience persistent treatment-related side effects that negatively affect their quality of life. At the first international Oncology Physiotherapy Conference in 2018, it was agreed that undergraduate physiotherapy training provides a strong foundation for oncology rehabilitation. However, management of …

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