Patients engaging with Prehab4Cancer, the world-leading exercise, nutrition and wellbeing programme for cancer patients in Greater Manchester and parts of Cheshire, display increased aerobic capacity, better lower limb function and overall strength – all leading to improved quality of life.
The outcomes are shown in the latest annual report from Prehab4Cancer (P4C) and are being highlighted to mark World Cancer Day (February 4, 2025).
P4C is the first UK ICS-delivered prehabilitation and recovery programme for cancer patients, via a partnership between GM Active and GM Cancer Alliance. It facilitates engagement in exercise, nutrition, and wellbeing assessments and interventions before, during and after treatment. The programme is offered to patients with lung, colorectal (bowel) and oesophageal and gastric cancers, often referred to as upper GI cancers.
The latest outcomes show improvements in patients’ general health, physical activity levels and self-efficacy determined using the following benchmarks:
Here are the outcomes for each tumour group:
P4C programme leader, Jack Murphy, says: “We’ve had another positive year for referral numbers in to the service – two consecutive years of approximately 2,000 referrals, highlighting the success and reputation of Prehab4Cancer.
“There’s been an improvement in the uptake and engagement into the service too, with an average of 72% across all patient groups. The return to face-to-face delivery has been key to this and the percentage uptake is now similar to pre-Covid levels despite an increase in referrals.
“A cancer diagnosis can have a massive impact on a person and increasing physical activity levels during cancer treatment is often the last thing on a person’s mind.
“But with physical activity and our support, people can take a proactive role in their own care and have a positive impact on their health outcomes”
“As a result, they feel empowered to take back control of the diagnosis, whilst optimising their physical and mental condition, to better cope with the rigours of cancer-related treatment.”
The latest outcomes corroborate independent research used to secure recurrent funding for Greater Manchester P4C, which found that hospital patients were able to be discharged home sooner and enjoyed a better recovery.
Headline results for colorectal patients included:
The shorter hospital stays ‘released’ 550 ward beds days and 146 critical care bed days, resulting in increased capacity and patient flow.
Bed days ‘released’ from 1,000 colorectal prehab patients enables 179 additional patients to access timely surgery.
Bed days ‘released’ per prehab patient cover the costs involved in setting up and delivering P4C for a year.
P4C patients are encouraged to attend at least two sessions each week, ideally three, and are also urged to establish a walking routine and make use of a home exercise guide around their scheduled supervised sessions.
A typical standard timetable for a patient looks like this:
The P4C team receive some glowing testimonials from their patients, here’s a selection of some of the most recent.
RN from Trafford says:
“I am extremely grateful for having had the opportunity to take part in the Prehab for Cancer programme and indebted to those involved in its delivery for helping me to recover quickly from surgery and cope with the trials of undertaking chemotherapy treatment for cancer of the colon. I have really benefitted from the exercise programme and can see the results, as I have significantly improved my fitness and strength levels on all the measures over a four-month period. Anyone who is offered this programme and is trying to make a decision about whether to join it should not be put off.”
RA from Bury says:
“Having had investigative procedures soon after my 56th birthday, I was diagnosed with evidence of bowel cancer – small, and caught early, but still a shock. After surgery was agreed as the way forward, I was approached by GM Active and offered Prehab 4 Cancer. Gym induction by Karly was simple and well explained, setting realistic goals and a set of exercises aimed at stamina and strengthening core in preparation for surgery, including some work books and home exercise schemes. Pre-op assessment indicated improvements in walk-test and sit-to-stand which was nice. The team followed up soon after surgery to monitor my early recovery. Advice more recently has been on how to safely return to exercise and progress this on comfortably. Thank you to all those who helped me at GM Active. I don’t think you’ve created a gym-bunny but (you have) certainly opened my eyes to the benefits and how easy it was to get started and maintain a regular routine. I feel better now than I have for a long time.”
AF from Bolton says:
“When I was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus I was signed up to the cancer prehab team. I was totally against the idea. I did between 10,000 and 15,000 steps a day in my day to day life; I don’t need to go to the gym I thought. Regardless, I attended the physical assessment with my fitness and exercise specialist Karly, who managed to persuade me to attend the gym starting the following week. I attended against my better judgment and Karly constructed a programme for me to follow and encouraged me to attend again, which I did. I am still recovering and exceeding everyone’s expectations. I have been interviewed at the hospital asking me how I have recovered so quickly and what I did beforehand. My answer is this – fitness, faith and positivity all come from attending the gym and improving mind and body. I am now seven weeks post op and next week I will be back at the gym. Yes me!”
GM Active is a collective of 12 leisure and community organisations across Greater Manchester all sharing the same vision – to get more people physically active so they can live healthy, happy and longer lives. It is a not-for-profit community interest company (CIC), which manages the majority of publicly owned leisure and physical activity services on behalf of the 10 local authorities in Greater Manchester.