A Newcastle-based prehabilitation care model designed to improve outcomes for cancer patients before surgery will be expanded to five rural and regional locations across NSW.
Led by Dr Jennifer Mackney, a clinical specialist physiotherapist at John Hunter Hospital and researcher with the University of Newcastle and HMRI, the project has received an $800,000 Cancer Institute NSW Accelerated Research Implementation Grant to upscale the Newcastle model.
Each year, an estimated 165,000 Australians are diagnosed with cancer, with around 132,000 requiring surgery. Prehabilitation programs help patients prepare for treatment by enhancing physical and mental health, incorporating exercise, nutrition, and psychological support to aid recovery, reduce complications, and improve overall well-being.
Dr Mackney said prehabilitation has been shown to significantly improve cancer survivorship and quality of life.
“Physical fitness and well-being are critical for better surgical outcomes. However, cancer and its treatments often reduce physical activity, nutrition, and overall fitness, increasing the risk of poor surgical outcomes,” Jennifer said.
“Multimodal prehabilitation before cancer surgery has been shown to improve physical function, halve postoperative complications, and reduce hospital stays. However, access to formal prehabilitation programs in Australia is limited, with rural and regional patients facing even greater barriers.”
The Newcastle program, known as C-SPRITES (Supported Prehabilitation – Improving fitness, ensuring well-being before surgery in people living with cancer), aims to address these gaps.
“This grant builds on our previous work and allows us to implement the C-SPRITES hybrid model of care within regional and rural communities,” Jennifer said.
“It will be delivered by local health providers in person, with additional support via telehealth from the Newcastle-based team.”
The project will assess how effectively the program improves access to prehabilitation services and its impact on patients, hospitals, and healthcare providers in regional areas.
This research highlights the University of Newcastle’s ongoing commitment to supporting communities by improving healthcare access and outcomes for cancer patients across NSW.
IMAGE | Dr Jennifer Mackney
