Prostate Cancer Prehabilitation and the Importance of Multimodal Interventions for Person-centred Care and Recovery

Semin Oncol Nurs. 2020 Aug;36(4):151048. doi: 10.1016/j.soncn.2020.151048. Epub 2020 Jul 21.

Abstract

Background: Prostate cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer globally. Cancer prehabilitation is defined as a process on the continuum of care that occurs between the time of a cancer diagnosis and the beginning of acute treatment. This article will discuss the importance of prostate cancer prehabilitation interventions in optimising physical and psychological recovery to enhance person-centred care.

Data sources: Electronic databases including CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsychINFO, Scopus, professional websites, and grey literature were searched using Google Scholar.

Conclusion: Prehabilitation in cancer care aims to enhance perioperative care and recovery. An emerging field of research suggests that the preoperative period may be physically and psychologically salient to introduce modifiable self-management behaviours to optimise overall recovery.

Implications for nursing practice: Prostate cancer specialist nurses provide the hub of person-centred care across the entire cancer care continuum embedded within the multidisciplinary team. Individually tailored interventions such as exercise and pelvic floor muscle training programmes, nutritional advice, anxiety and depression reduction, and sexual well-being interventions should be considered in the prehabilitation phase of the cancer care continuum.

Keywords: multidisciplinary team; multimodal; nursing; person centred care; prehabilitation; prostate cancer; supportive care.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Male
  • Oncology Nursing / methods*
  • Patient-Centered Care / methods
  • Preoperative Exercise*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / nursing*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / psychology