OKLAHOMA CITY — Rehabilitation is a standard practice after any major surgery, but a team of University of Oklahoma health professionals and researchers are exploring the benefits of what they are calling “prehabilitation.”

In essence, prehabilitation means using the concepts of rehabilitation before a patient undergoes surgery to minimize post-surgery complications and speed recovery time. 

Elizabeth Hile, Ph.D. and her team at the Stephenson Cancer Center in Oklahoma launched a new trial in January to compare different prehabilitation approaches for patients about to undergo surgery for pancreatic cancer, an especially difficult disease with survival rates under 7 percent.

The best chance for survival involves surgery to remove the tumor; however, pancreatic cancer patients often become weak before surgery, making the procedure riskier.

By helping patients with their physical activity and nutrition in the weeks leading up to surgery, researchers hope to improve their ability to handle the stress of the operation and to recover more quickly afterward.

“We are very excited about this research project and its potential for helping patients with pancreatic cancer to be able to tolerate treatments like surgery and chemotherapy to extend their lives without sacrificing quality of life,” said Hile, who directs the Cancer Rehabilitation Clinic and Research Program at the Stephenson Cancer Center.

“Studies have shown that exercise and nutrition regimens improve outcomes for patients with other types of cancers, but we don’t know as much about the value of prehabilitation for pancreatic cancer patients, or the best approach to take based on the individual and the cancer,” Hile said.

The team worked with patients enrolled in the trial for two weeks before their surgeries. A physical therapist provides an individualized exercise program, and registered dietitians establish a nutrition plan for each patient. Registered dietitian Leah Hoffman, Ph.D., leads the nutrition component of the intervention.

After the surgery is over, the team will follow patients for six months, tracking their surgical complications, length of hospitalization, quality of life, and other outcomes.

Halfway through the study, it is still too early to provide preliminary results, Hile said. However, based on enrollment response, they are confident in the study’s design and with the participant’s dedication. The stricter they adhere to the exercise and nutrition recommendations, the more accurate the results of the trial will be.

“We have an amazing, motivated group of participants,” Hile said.

Although it is too early to report any data, Hile says they expect to see fewer complications and less functional decline in the patients who exercised more in the weeks leading up to the surgery.

“We are hopeful that this will translate to longer, and higher quality, survival,” Hile said.

The goal of the trial is to compare approaches to prehabilitation for patients undergoing surgery for pancreatic cancer with Russell Postier, M.D., chief surgical investigator for the trial and chairman of the Department of Surgery for the Oklahoma University College of Medicine.

This trial will provide the evidence necessary to establish these practices as a regular part of patient care.

To support the trial over the next year, Hile received a $75,000 grant from the Presbyterian Health Foundation. 

“We are proud to support the work of Dr. Hile and her team in seeking new answers for patients facing surgery for pancreatic cancer,” said Tom R. Gray III, president of the Presbyterian Health Foundation. “Our mission is to invest in research projects that have the potential to improve patients’ lives, and prehabilitation is a promising and exciting new concept in patient care.”

This story was written for the Edmond, Oklahoma Sun.