Evaluating geographical disparities on clinical outcomes following cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Rural Australians typically encounter disparities in healthcare access leading to adverse health outcomes, delayed diagnosis and reduced quality of life (QoL) parameters. These disparities may be exacerbated in advanced malignancies, where treatment is only available at highly specialised centres with appropriate multidisciplinary expertise. Thus, this study aims to determine the association between patient residence on oncological, surgical and QoL outcomes following cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intra-peritoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on consecutive patients undergoing CRS and HIPEC at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital from January 2017 to March 2022. On the basis of their postcode of residence, patients were stratified into metropolitan and regional groups. Data encompassing demographics, oncological, surgical and QoL outcomes were compared. Statistical analysis included chi-square test, t-tests and Kaplan-Meier survival curves. RESULTS: Among the 317 patients, 228 (72%) were categorised as metropolitan and 89 (28%) as regional. Metropolitan patients presented higher rates of recurrence (61.8% versus 40.0%, p = 0.014) and shorter overall mean survival [3.8 years (95% CI: 3.44-4.09) versus 4.2 years (95% CI: 3.76-4.63), p = 0.019] compared with regional patients. No other statistically significant differences were observed in oncological, surgical and QoL outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Most oncological, surgical and QoL parameters did not differ by geographical location of patients undergoing CRS and HIPEC for peritoneal malignancies at a high-volume quaternary referral centre. Observed differences in recurrence and survival may be attributed to the selective nature of surgical referrals and variable follow-up patterns. Future research should focus on characterising referral pathways and its influence on post-operative outcomes.

Functional Outcomes Following Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy: A Prospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Pre-operative physical status and its association with post-operative surgical outcomes is poorly understood in patients with peritoneal malignancy who undergo cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). The aims of this study were to determine the pre-operative physical function in patients having CRS-HIPEC and investigate the association between physical function and post-operative outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients undergoing CRS-HIPEC between 2017 and 2021 were recruited at a single quaternary referral hospital in Sydney, Australia. The primary physical function measures were the 6-min walk test (6MWT) and the five-times sit to stand test (5STS). Data were collected pre-operatively and at post-operative day 10, and were analysed according to pre-operative patient characteristics and post-operative outcomes such as length of hospital stay (LOS) and complications. RESULTS: The cohort of patients that participated in functional assessments consisted of 234 patients, with a median age of 56 years. Patients having CRS-HIPEC performed worse on the 6MWT pre-operatively compared with the general Australian population (p < 0.001). Post-operatively, these patients experienced a further deterioration in 6MWT and 5STS performance and the degree of the post-operative decline in function was associated with post-operative morbidity. A higher level of pre-operative physical function was associated with shorter LOS and minor post-operative complications. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who have undergone CRS-HIPEC were functionally impaired pre-operatively compared with the general population and experience a further deterioration of physical function post-operatively. A higher level of pre-operative physical function is associated with minor post-operative morbidity, which is highly relevant for pre-operative optimisation of patients with cancer.

Depression, Anxiety, Stress and Distress Following Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy: Results of a Prospective Cohort Study.

The aim of this study was to describe the levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and distress in patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). The 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and Distress Thermometer were administered preoperatively, postoperatively day 10, and at hospital discharge to 169 patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis undergoing CRS and HIPEC. The mean preoperative values for DASS-21 subscale scores were 4.7 (depression), 4.2 (anxiety), and 8.4 (stress), and the mean preoperative Distress Thermometer rating was 4.0. No significant changes in levels of depression, stress, or distress were noted thereafter. The DASS-21 anxiety subscale score significantly increased at hospital discharge (p = .005). Higher levels of preoperative psychological depression, anxiety, stress and distress were associated with worse mental component scores. Higher preoperative depression levels were associated with the provision of more clinical psychologist occasions of service, and higher preoperative distress levels were associated with younger age. Preoperative psychological measures are important for ensuring CRS and HIPEC patients that require additional support are identified and provided with ongoing psychological interventions.

PRehabIlitatiOn with pReoperatIve exercise and educaTion for patients undergoing major abdominal cancer surgerY: protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled TRIAL (PRIORITY TRIAL).

BACKGROUND: Radical surgery is the mainstream treatment for patients presenting with advanced primary or recurrent gastrointestinal cancers; however, the rate of postoperative complications is exceptionally high. The current evidence suggests that improving patients' fitness during the preoperative period may enhance postoperative recovery. Thus, the primary aim of this study is to establish the effectiveness of prehabilitation with a progressive, individualised, preoperative exercise and education program compared to usual care alone in reducing the proportion of patients with postoperative in-hospital complications. The secondary aims are to investigate the effectiveness of the preoperative intervention on reducing the length of intensive care unit and hospital stay, improving quality of life and morbidity, and reducing costs. METHODS: This is a multi-centre, assessor-blinded, pragmatic, comparative, randomised controlled trial. A total of 172 patients undergoing pelvic exenteration, cytoreductive surgery, oesophagectomy, hepatectomy, gastrectomy or pancreatectomy will be recruited. Participants will be randomly allocated to prehabilitation with a preoperative exercise and education program (intervention group), delivered over 4 to 8 weeks before surgery by community physiotherapists/exercise physiologists, or usual care alone (control group). The intervention will comprise 12 to 24 individualised, progressive exercise sessions (including aerobic/anaerobic, resistance, and respiratory exercises), recommendations of home exercises (16 to 32 sessions), and daily incidental physical activity advice. Outcome measures will be collected at baseline, the week prior to surgery, during the hospital stay, and on the day of discharge from hospital, and 1 month and 1 months postoperatively. The primary outcome will be the development of in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes include the length of intensive care unit and hospital stay, quality of life, postoperative morbidity and costs. DISCUSSION: The successful completion of this trial will provide robust and high-quality evidence on the efficacy of a preoperative community- and home-based exercise and education intervention on important postoperative outcomes of patients undergoing major gastrointestinal cancer surgery. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered prospectively with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ( ACTRN12621000617864 ) on 24th May 2021.

A phase I, nonrandomized controlled trial demonstrating the novel technique of cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy utilizing warm humidified carbon dioxide insufflation.

AIM: The aim of this work was to report on the safety and feasibility of warm humidified CO2 (WHCO2 ) insufflation during cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). METHOD: Ten consecutive patients with histologically confirmed peritoneal cancer were enrolled in this phase I pilot nonrandomized controlled trial. They were alternately assigned to CRS and HIPEC with WHCO2 versus standard procedure. WHCO2 was delivered at 10 L/min, a pressure of 4.5 bar, 37ºC and 98% relative humidity during CRS using the HumiGardTM system. HIPEC was performed with an open abdomen using the Coliseum technique at 42ºC for 60 min. All patients were admitted to the intensive care unit and commenced on total parenteral nutrition postoperatively. Surface and core temperatures were measured every 30 min using an infrared camera and nasopharyngeal probe, respectively. Clinicopathological, intra- and postoperative details were collated between groups, and median surface and core temperatures were statistically compared. RESULTS: Surface and core temperatures were generally higher in the WHCO2 group. Core temperature at 120 and 180 min was significantly higher in the WHCO2 versus the non-WHCO2 group (p = 0.028 and 0.008, respectively). There was a significant linear relationship between core and surface temperature at 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 min (p = 0.033, 0.004, 0.007, 0.021, 0.009 and 0.006, respectively). The peritoneal cancer index was lower but the estimated blood loss was higher in the non-WHCO2 than the WHCO2 group. CONCLUSION: WHCO2 in CRS and HIPEC appears to be safe and feasible. An appropriately powered phase II trial will be required to determine if WHCO2 is associated with improved intra- and postoperative outcomes.

Pelvic exenteration combined with cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for advanced primary or recurrent colorectal cancer with peritoneal metastases.

AIM: The aim was to report early outcomes of six patients who underwent combined pelvic exenteration (PE), cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for advanced or recurrent colorectal cancer with colorectal peritoneal metastases at a single centre. The literature contains limited data on the safety and oncological outcomes of patients who undergo this combined procedure. METHODS: Six patients who underwent combined PE, CRS and HIPEC at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, between January 2017 and February 2020 were identified and included. Data were extracted from prospectively maintained databases. RESULTS: Three patients underwent surgery for advanced primary rectal cancer, while two patients had recurrent sigmoid cancer and one had recurrent rectal cancer. All patients had synchronous peritoneal metastases. Two patients required total PE and two patients had a central (bladder-sparing) PE. The median peritoneal carcinomatosis index was 6 (range 3-12) and all patients underwent a complete cytoreduction. The median operating time was 702 min (range 485-900) and the median blood loss was 1650 ml (range 700-12,000). The median length of intensive care unit and hospital stay was 4.5 and 25 days, respectively. There was no inpatient, 30-day or 90-day mortality. Three patients (50%) experienced a major (Clavien-Dindo III/IV) complication. At a median follow-up of 11.5 months (range 2-18 months), two patients died with recurrent disease, one patient was alive with recurrence, while three patients remain alive and disease-free. Of the three patients who developed recurrent disease, one had isolated pelvic recurrence, one had pelvic and peritoneal recurrences and one had bone metastases. CONCLUSION: Early results from this initial experience with simultaneous PE, CRS and HIPEC suggest that this combined procedure is safe and feasible; however, the long-term oncological and quality of life outcomes require further investigation.

Quality of Life After Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy: Early Results from a Prospective Cohort Study of 115 Patients.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to describe short- and medium-term longitudinal quality-of-life (QoL) outcomes after cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). METHODS: Consecutive patients undergoing CRS and HIPEC were recruited. The primary outcome was QoL, measured using the short-form 36 questionnaire and expressed as a physical component score (PCS) and a mental component score (MCS), with higher scores representing better QoL. Data were collected prospectively at baseline and before discharge, then 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Trajectories of the PCS and MCS were described for the study period and grouped according to a peritoneal carcinomatosis index (PCI) (≤ 12 vs. ≥ 13) and a completeness of cytoreduction (CC) score (CC0 vs. CC1-CC3). RESULTS: Overall, 117 patients underwent CRS and HIPEC and 115 (98.3%) of the 117 patients participated in the study. The main primary pathology was colorectal in 52 (45%) of the 115 patients and appendiceal in 27 (23.5%) of the 115 patients. The median baseline PCS [48.16; interquartile range (IQR), 38.6-54.9] had decreased at pre-discharge (35.34; IQR, 28.7-41.8), then increased slightly at 3 months (42.54; IQR, 37.6-51.6), before returning to baseline within 6 months (48.35; IQR, 39.1-52.5) and remaining unchanged 12 months after surgery (48.55; IQR, 40.8-55.5). The MCS remained unchanged during the study period. The patients with a PCI of 13 or higher had worse PCS and MCS during the postoperative period than the patients with a PCI of 12 or lower. CONCLUSIONS: The CRS and HIPEC procedures impaired PCS, with scores returning to baseline within 6 months after surgery, whereas MCS remained unchanged. The patients with a lower PCI had better postoperative QoL outcomes. For patients with peritoneal malignancy, CRS and HIPEC can be performed with acceptable short- to medium-term QoL outcomes.

Acute Adverse Events and Postoperative Complications in a Randomized Trial of Preoperative Short-course Radiotherapy Versus Long-course Chemoradiotherapy for T3 Adenocarcinoma of the Rectum: Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group Trial (TROG 01.04).

OBJECTIVE: To compare acute adverse events (AE) and postoperative complication rates in a randomized trial of short-course (SC) versus long-course (LC) preoperative radiotherapy. BACKGROUND: Evidence demonstrates that adding neoadjuvant radiotherapy to surgery offers better local control in the management of rectal cancer. With both SC and LC therapy there is a potential for acute treatment-related toxicity and increased patient morbidity. METHODS: Eligible patients had clinical-stage T3 rectal adenocarcinoma within 12 cm of the anal verge with no evidence of metastasis. SC consisted of pelvic radiotherapy 5 × 5 Gy in 1 week, early surgery and 6 courses of adjuvant chemotherapy. LC was 50.4 Gy administered in 28 fractions during 5.5 weeks, with infusion 5-fluorouracil, surgery in 4 to 6 weeks, and 4 courses of chemotherapy. RESULTS: All SC patients and 93% of LC patients received preoperative planned radiotherapy. There was no 30-day operative mortality. A statistically significant higher percentage of at least 1 AE occurred in the LC group (SC, 72.3%; LC, 99.4%; P < 0.001). There were significant differences in favor of SC for grade 3 AE: radiation dermatitis (0% vs 5.6%, P = 0.003), proctitis (0% vs 3.7% P = 0.016), nausea (0% vs 3.1%, P = 0.029), fatigue (0% vs 3.7%, P = 0.016) and grade 3/4 diarrhea rates (1.3% vs 14.2% P < 0.001). No statistically significant differences in surgical complication rates were seen (SC 53.2 vs 50.4% LC, p = 0.68), although permanent stoma (38.0% vs 29.8%, P = 0.13) and anastomotic breakdown (7.1% vs 3.5%, P = 0.26) rates favored LC with perineal wound complications (38.3% vs 50.0%, P = 0.26) in favor of SC. CONCLUSIONS: LC had significantly higher AEs compared with SC with no statistically significant differences in postoperative complications. There were clinical trends in permanent stoma rates and anastomotic leaks in favor of LC but with an increased perineal wound breakdown rate.

Complexity of surgery and treatment burden in patients with peritoneal malignancy is not determined by addition of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: This study describes surgical and quality of life outcomes in patients with peritoneal malignancy treated by cytoreductive surgery (CRS) alone compared with a subgroup treated with CRS and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). METHODS: Peritoneal malignancy patients undergoing surgery between 2017 and 2023 were included. The cohort was divided into patients treated by CRS and HIPEC and those treated by CRS without HIPEC (including CRS only or maximal tumour debulking (MTB)). Main outcomes included surgical outcomes, survival, and quality of life. Groups were compared using non-parametric tests and log-rank test was used to compare survival curves. RESULTS: 403 had CRS and HIPEC, 25 CRS only and 15 MTB. CRS and HIPEC patients had a lower peritoneal carcinomatosis index (12.0 vs. 17.0 vs. 35.0; P < 0.001) and longer surgical operative time (9.3 vs. 8.3 vs. 5.2 h; P < 0.001), when compared to CRS only and MTB, respectively. No other significant difference between groups was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The optimal management of selected patients with resectable peritoneal malignancy incorporates a combined strategy of CRS and HIPEC. When HIPEC is not utilized, due to significant residual disease or comorbidity precluding safe delivery, CRS alone is associated with good outcomes. Hospital stay and complications are acceptable but not significantly different to the CRS and HIPEC group. CRS alone is a complex intervention requiring comparable resources with good outcomes. In view of our findings 'intention to treat' with CRS and HIPEC should be the basis for resource allocation and funding.

Assessing frailty in older Indian patients before cancer treatment: Comparative analysis of three scales and their implications for overall survival.

INTRODUCTION: Frailty, characterized by ageing-related vulnerability, influences outcomes in older adults. Our study aimed to investigate the relationship between frailty and clinical outcomes in older Indian patients with cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our observational single-centre study, conducted at Tata Memorial Hospital from February 2020 to July 2022, enrolled participants aged 60 years and above with cancer. Frailty was assessed using the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), G8, and Vulnerable Elders Survey (VES)-13. The primary objective was to explore the correlation between baseline frailty and overall survival. Statistical analyses include Kaplan-Meier, Cox proportional hazards, and Harrell's C test. RESULTS: A total of 1,177 patients (median age 68, 76.9% male) were evaluated in the geriatric oncology clinic. Common malignancies included lung (40.0%), gastrointestinal (35.8%), urological (11.9%), and head and neck (9.0%), with 56.5% having metastatic disease. Using CFS, G8, and VES-13 scales, 28.5%, 86.4%, and 38.0% were identified as frail, respectively. Median follow-up was 11.6 months, with 43.3% deaths. Patients fit on CFS (CFS 1-2) had a median survival of 28.02 months, pre-frail (CFS 3-4) 13.24 months, and frail (CFS ≥5) 7.79 months (p < 0.001). Abnormal G8 (≤14) and VES-13 (≥3) were associated with significantly lower median survival (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis confirmed CFS's predictive power for mortality (p < 0.001), with hazard ratios [HRs] for pre-frail at 1.61(95% confidence interval [CI] 1.25 to 2.06) and frail at 2.31 (95%CI 1.74 to 3.05). G8 ≤ 14 had HR 2.00 (95%CI 1.42 to 2.83), and abnormal VES-13 had HR 1.36 (95%CI 1.11-1.67). In the likelihood ratio test, CFS significantly improved the model fit (p < 0.001). Harrell's C index for survival prediction was 0.62 for CFS, 0.54 for G8, and 0.58 for VES-13. DISCUSSION: In conclusion, our study highlights varying frailty prevalence and prognostic implications in older Indian patients with cancer, emphasizing the need for personalized care in oncology for this aging population. We would recommend using CFS as a tool to screen for frailty for older Indian patients with cancer.

Is the measurement of sarcopenia associated with oncological disease in patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy?

BACKGROUND: Peritoneal malignancies are challenging cancers to manage. While cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS and HIPEC), may offer a cure, it is a radical procedure associated with significant morbidity. Pre-emptive identification of deconditioned patients for optimization may mitigate surgical risk. However, the difficulty lies in identifying a cost-effective predictive tool. Recently, there has been interest in sarcopenia, which may occur due to malignancy. The purpose of this study was to assess the utility of sarcopenia at predicting post-operative outcomes. METHODS: A quaternary-centre retrospective study of CRS and HIPEC patients (2017-2020), were conducted to determine the association between pre-operative sarcopenia on oncological (peritoneal carcinomatosis index (PCI)) and surgical outcomes (complications). Sarcopenia from lumbar CT-images were measured using Slice-o-matic™. Statistical differences were analysed using Mann-Whitney U and Chi-squared test. RESULTS: Cohort analysis (n = 94) found 40% had sarcopenia, majority were female (53.2%), and average age of 55 years. The major pathologies was colorectal cancer (n = 39, 41.5%), appendix adenocarcinoma (n = 21, 22.3%), and pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) (n = 19, 20.2%). Sarcopenia was associated with decreased weight, 72.7 versus 82.2 kg (P = 0.014) and shorter survival, 1.4 versus 2.1 years (95% CI, 1.09-3.05, P = 0.032). Median PCI (excluding PMP) was 11 (6-18) and median PCI (only PMP) was 25 (11-32). Post-operatively, sarcopenia patients experienced more complications (72.5% vs. 64.8%, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Pre-emptive identification of sarcopenia may be a useful prognostic indicator and predictor of post-operative outcomes in CRS and HIPEC. For oncological patients, sarcopenia may be an indicator of patients requiring targeted pre-operative rehabilitation, or advanced disease requiring further treatment.

A global analysis of nutrition support practices in patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for peritoneal malignancy.

BACKGROUND: Perioperative nutritional care has been identified as an important factor in the management of patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). Nevertheless, there is no published consensus on best practice for nutritional management specific to this patient group. The purpose of this study was to identify the current nutrition care practices among international centres performing CRS and HIPEC for patients with peritoneal malignancy. METHODS: An online survey was developed and sent to experienced CRS and HIPEC centres. The survey questions covered clinician and institution demographics, formal nutrition care pathways, pre-operative nutrition care, post-operative nutrition support and post-discharge nutritional follow-up. RESULTS: Eighty-two centres were contacted, and 42 responses were received. Respondents were from 20 different countries and were mostly dietitians (71%). Nutrition assessments were frequently completed (52% pre-operatively and 86% post-operatively) and most centres used a validated nutrition screening or assessment tool (79%). Perioperative nutrition support with respect to the use of enteral nutrition, parenteral nutrition and enhanced recovery after surgery varied widely between centres. The use of routine parenteral and enteral nutrition was significantly higher in Europe compared with other locations (p = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: Nutrition care is pivotal and has been positively integrated into the complex management of patients undergoing CRS and HIPEC globally, however variation in practice is evident. The findings highlight a unique opportunity to collaboratively investigate the role nutrition plays in determining outcomes and to identify the most appropriate nutrition support methods to achieve improved clinical outcomes for these high-risk patients.

Healthcare experiences of people with advanced colorectal cancer: A qualitative study.

PURPOSE: Qualitative research examining healthcare experiences and needs of people with advanced (metastatic or recurrent) colorectal cancer CRC-A is limited. This study aimed to fill this gap in CRC-A survivors treated with surgical or palliative chemotherapy, through a qualitative study. METHOD: Australian adults treated for CRC-A were recruited 0.5-2 years post-surgery or post-diagnosis of CRC-A (for palliative chemotherapy groups). Semi-structured telephone interviews, analysed via framework analysis, explored healthcare experiences. Demographic, clinical, and quality of life data characterised the sample and informed framework analyses. Data was compared against the Institute of Medicine's framework for quality healthcare. RESULTS: Interviews from 38 participants (22 female) of median age 59 years (range 27-84) revealed six overarching themes relating to the safety, effectiveness, timeliness, patient-centredness, efficiency, and equity of CRC-A care: 1) Early experiences influence later perceptions; 2) Trusting the system, trusting the professionals; 3) The benefits of multidisciplinary care co-ordination; 4) Feeling lost in follow-up; 5) Whose role is it anyway? Gaps in responsibility for survivorship care; and 6) Useful or useless? Perceptions of psychosocial support. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare systems for CRC-A can be improved through delivery of repeated information, upskilling general practitioners and/or implementing written survivorship care plans or survivorship clinics, to ensure quality healthcare.

Consumer Perspectives on the Adoption of a Prehabilitation Multimodal Online Program for Patients Undergoing Cancer Surgery.

This study aimed to explore patients' perspectives on the adoption of a prehabilitation multimodal online program. Patients recovering from gastrointestinal cancer surgery at a tertiary hospital between October 2021 and November 2022 were invited to participate. An e-Health program including intensity exercises, nutrition and psychological counselling was used. Patients were instructed to navigate the e-Health program over 24 h using an iPad and then complete the study survey. Patients' characteristics, use of technology, views and minimal expected outcomes from a preoperative online program were collected. Of the 30 patients included, most were female, most reported confidence in the use of technology, most considered the online program safe and most agreed it would be beneficial for their health. "Poor preoperative health" and "lack of motivation and encouragement" were identified as the main barriers to the uptake of a preoperative online program, while program 'simplicity' and perceived 'benefits' were the main facilitators. Significant improvement in postoperative outcomes is perceived to influence patients' willingness to participate in a preoperative multimodal e-Health program. Gastrointestinal cancer patients perceived the adoption of a preoperative multimodal e-Health application as safe to be performed at home and of potential benefit to their health. A range of patient's characteristics, barriers and facilitators to the uptake of an online program were identified. These should be considered in future preoperative multimodal online programs to enhance patient experience, adherence and efficacy. The safety and efficacy of the online prehabilitation program will need to be determined in a larger randomized controlled trial.

Validation of the Onco-MPI in predicting short-term mortality in older Indian patients with cancer.

INTRODUCTION: The number of older patients with cancer is increasing exponentially worldwide, and a similar trend has also been noted in India. The Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI) strongly correlates the presence of individual comorbidities with mortality, and the Onco-MPI prognosticates patients accurately for overall mortality. However, limited studies have evaluated this index in patient populations beyond Italy. We evaluated the performance of the Onco-MPI index in predicting mortality in older Indian patients with cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This observational study was conducted between October 2019 and November 2021 in the Geriatric Oncology Clinic at Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, India. The data of patients aged ≥60 years with solid tumors who underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment was analysed. The study's primary aim was to calculate the Onco-MPI for patients in the study and correlate it with one-year mortality. RESULTS: A total of 576 patients aged ≥60 years were included in the study. The median age (range) of the population was 68 (60-90) years, and 429 (74.5%) were male. After a median follow-up of 19.2 months, 366 (63.7%) patients had died. The proportion of patients classified as low risk (0-0.46), moderate risk (0.47-0.63) and high risk (0.64-1.0) were 38% (219 patients), 37% (211 patients) and 25% (145 patients), respectively. There was a significant difference in one-year mortality rates between the low-risk patients compared to medium and high-risk patients (40.6% vs 53.1% vs 71.7%; p < 0.001). DISCUSSION: The current study validates the Onco-MPI as a predictive tool for estimating short-term mortality in older Indian patients with cancer. Further prospective studies need to build on this index to obtain a score with greater discrimination in the Indian population.

The current status of geriatric oncology in India.

Geriatric oncology in India is relatively new. The number of older persons with cancer is increasing exponentially; at our institution, 34% of patients registered are 60 years and over. Apart from the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, there are currently no other Indian centers that have a dedicated geriatric oncology unit. Geriatric assessments (GAs) are done sporadically, and older patients with cancer are usually assessed and treated based on clinical judgement. Challenges to increasing the uptake of GA include a lack of training/time/interest or knowledge of the importance of the GA. Other challenges include a lack of trained personnel with expertise in geriatric oncology, and a paucity of research studies that seek to advance the outcomes in older Indian patients with cancer. We anticipate that over the next 10 years, along with the inevitable increase in the number of older persons with cancer in India, there will be a commensurate increase in the number of skilled personnel to care for them. Key goals for the future include increased research output, increased number of dedicated geriatric oncology units across the country, India-specific geriatric oncology guidelines, geriatric oncology training programs, and a focus on collaborative work across India and with global partners. In this narrative review, we provide a broad overview of the status of geriatric oncology in India, along with a description of the work done at our center. We hope to spark interest and provide inspiration to readers to consider developing geriatric oncology services in other settings.

Preoperative cardiopulmonary exercise testing improves risk assessment of morbidity and length of stay following cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) are the standard treatment for selected patients with peritoneal malignancy. The optimal means of assessing risk prior to these complex operations is not known. This study explored the associations between preoperative cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) variables and postoperative outcomes following elective CRS and HIPEC. This study included patients who underwent routine preoperative CPET prior to elective CRS and HIPEC at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney between July 2017 and July 2020. CPET was performed using a cycle ergometer and measured peak oxygen uptake (VO2 peak) and anaerobic threshold (AT). Outcomes included in-hospital morbidity, length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay and hospital stay. The associations between preoperative CPET variables and postoperative morbidity were assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses. A total of 129 patients were included. Mean age was 56 years (standard deviation (SD) 12.5 years), and colorectal cancer was the most common indication for CRS and HIPEC. The overall complication rate was 69%, and two (1.6%) patients died in hospital. Patients who did not develop any postoperative complication had slightly higher preoperative AT and VO2 peak and shorter length of hospital stay. Data in this study support the role of CPET prior to CRS and HIPEC as an adjunct to improve risk assessment.

Feasibility and acceptability of a preoperative exercise program for patients undergoing major cancer surgery: results from a pilot randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To establish the feasibility and acceptability of a preoperative exercise program, and to obtain pilot data on the likely difference in key surgical outcomes to inform the sample size calculation for a full-scale trial. DESIGN: Pilot randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia. SUBJECTS: We included patients undergoing elective pelvic exenteration or cytoreductive surgery aged 18 to 80 years, who presented to the participating gastrointestinal surgeon at least 2 weeks prior to surgery. Patients presenting cognitive impairment, co-morbidity preventing participation in exercise, inadequate English language, currently participating in an exercise program or unable to attend the exercise program sessions were excluded. METHODS: Participants were randomized to a 2-6 weeks preoperative, face-to-face, individualised exercise program or to usual care. Feasibility was assessed with consent rates to the study, and for the intervention group, retention and adherence rates to the preoperative exercise program. Acceptability of the exercise program was assessed with a semi-structured questionnaire exploring the advice received and the amount, duration and intensity of the exercise program. In addition, postoperative complication rates (Clavien-Dindo), length of hospital stay and self-reported measures of health-related quality of life (SF-36v2) were collected at baseline, day before surgery and in-hospital up to discharge from hospital. RESULTS: Of 122 patients screened, 26 (21%) were eligible and 22 (85%) accepted to participate in the trial and were randomized to the intervention (11; 50%) or control group (11; 50%). The median age of the include participants was 63 years. Adherence to the preoperative exercise sessions was 92.7%, with all participants either satisfied (33%) or extremely satisfied (67%) with the overall design of the preoperative exercise program. No significant differences in outcomes were found between groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our pilot trial demonstrate that a preoperative exercise program is feasible and acceptable to patients undergoing major abdominal cancer surgery. There is an urgent need for a definite trial investigating the effectiveness of a preoperative exercise program on postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing major abdominal cancer surgery. This could potentially reduce postoperative complication rates, length of hospital stay and subsequently overall health care costs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ACTRN12617001129370. Registered on August 1, 2017, https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=373396&showOriginal=true&isReview=true.