Cancer Rehabilitation in Primary Health Care

This study focuses on piloting a cancer rehabilitation program for cancer survivors (18-70 years of age), conducted in primary health care in a Norwegian municipality. In Norway, more than 70 % of all cancer patients will be long time survivors. However, research documents that cancer survivors are at increased risk for physical and psychosocial late effects with negative consequences for survival, long-time health and quality of life. Still, there is a huge gap between cancer survivors' documented late-effects and unmet needs and cancer rehabilitation interventions.

Background

Current cancer treatment is usually multimodal, hard and long-lasting, whereby many cancer patients experience physical and psychosocial late-effects and challenges. Some late-effects are life threatening, such as cancer relapse, new cancers, or development of chronical diseases. Other late effects influence the individual's health and quality of life negatively, as for example pain, lymphedema, gastrointestinal problems, memory, concentration and cognitive problems, neuropathies, anxiety and depression etc. In addition, cancer survivors report of social, economic and work related challenges. However, fatigue is the most distressing late-effect reported by cancer survivors, as it influences all areas of life, and is regarded as a strong and independent predictor for impaired quality of life.

Even if Norwegians' right to rehabilitation is assigned by law and cancer rehabilitation is a national focus area, cancer rehabilitation is not an integrated part of the cancer trajectory. Research indicate that healthcare providers have limited knowledge of cancer survivors' multidimensional challenges and effective elements in cancer rehabilitation. Consequently, cancer survivors experience lack of information about late-effects, inadequate follow-up and lack of understanding related to their physical and psychosocial challenges, as well as multidimensional rehabilitation interventions. Based on the law, cancer rehabilitation preferably should be conducted in municipalities nearby the patient's home. However, the few existing programs are criticized for being random, fragmented, not research based, only including single elements, and that survivors have to find such offers for themselves. This highlights the need to developed and pilot evidence based cancer rehabilitation programs - especially in primary health care.

Cancer rehabilitation is defined as processes that support cancer survivors to achieve maximal physical, psychological, social and work function within the frames created by cancer and cancer treatment. Consequently, cancer rehabilitation builds on a bio-psychosocial view of health and health promotion.

Even if cancer rehabilitation is a relatively new research field, research shows that effective elements in cancer rehabilitation are based on physical activity and psychosocial interventions. Physical activity is the single element with most evidence, showing positive effects on physical fitness, general health, quality of life, fatigue and return to work for most cancers and ages. Guidelines for cancer survivors recommend moderate physical activity 30 minutes a day, five days a week or more - and physical exercise as a combination of cardiovascular and strength exercise with gradual increase. Different types of psychosocial education have also shown effect on coping and stress reduction in cancer survivors. Such interventions, often called psychoeducation, most often include several elements such as education and illness specific information, emotional support, coping strategies, relaxing technics and discussions. Because cancer survivors challenges are multidimensional and individual, meeting the individual's need are crucial. Consequently, individual follow-up and goal setting are important means in promoting motivation, control and coping expectations that may promote positive physical and psychosocial health.Furthermore, research documents the importance of peer support in cancer rehabilitation, whereby peer support may promote positive changes, psychosocial function, empowerment and quality of life. New research indicates that a multidimensional approach in cancer rehabilitation that combines physical and psychosocial elements are more effective than single interventions related to physical function, quality of life, fatigue and distress. Research also indicate that positive effects of complex interventions are related to group rehabilitation after primary cancer treatment is finished, programs lasting more than three weeks, including several diagnosis and a multidisciplinary approach. Even if most of this research is conducted as in-rehabilitation in the specialist health care level, it seems evident that a complex rehabilitation program in primary healthcare should combine elements of physical activity, psychoeducation, peer support, goal setting and individual follow up for cancer survivors with different types of cancers after completion of primary cancer treatment.

Study goal and research questions

The overall goal of this pilot study is to increase the understanding and knowledge of cancer rehabilitation in primary health care by pilot testing a complex cancer rehabilitation program. Based on this, we have the following research questions:

1. What characterize the psychosocial health and what is participants motivation to attend the program?

2. How are the program's feasibility and adherence?

3. In what degree do the participants achieve their goals and do this lead to increased participation?

4. What are the participants' outcome on physical fitness?

5. What are the participants' short (12 weeks) and long-term outcomes (6 and 12 months) related to quality of life, physical function, fatigue and mental health?

6. What are the participants' experience of the rehabilitation process and what are the participants' recommendations for future programs?