Interprofessional assistance in prehabilitation and surgical rehabilitation of cancer patients during the perioperative period: integrative review

Objective To analyze scientific evidence regarding the role of the interprofessional team in prehabilitation and surgical rehabilitation of adult and older cancer patients During the perioperativeperiod. Method: This is an Integrative Literature Review (ILR) developed in six stages, conductedaccording to the PICo research strategy and based on the recommendations of the PreferredReporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA-ScR). The Rayyan applicationwas used as a tool for automation and filtering of studies. Searches were conducted in theLILACS, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and PUBMED databases, using inclusion and exclusioncriteria, with a time frame from 2012 to 2024. Sample data were analyzed to identify studies,methodological characteristics, methodological rigor assessment, and sample synthesis. A thirdreviewer was involved to resolve disagreements through consensus meetings. The data collectioninstrument included identification information, as per the Mixed Methods Data Extraction Form,following the Joanna Briggs Institute’s Integrated Convergent Approach tool. The study was registered on the Figshare platform under DOI https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.21980156.v1.Results: Twenty-nine articles were deemed eligible for this ILR. Regarding the level of evidence,most studies were classified as level IV (n=11; 37.9%). Concerning the location of the primarytumor, a predominance of rectal malignancy (ICD-10 - C20) was observed (n=10; 26.3%). Additionally,the articles were categorized into three phases: (1) “surgical prehabilitation”; (2) “surgical perioperative period,” subdivided into care and educational approaches; and (3) “surgical postoperative period,” with telerehabilitation as a continuation of the perioperative period. Most studies focused on the “surgical prehabilitation” phase (n=21; 72.4%). Conclusion: This integrative literature review provided evidence reinforcing the importance of interprofessional team assistancein the perioperative surgical context for the rehabilitation of adult and older cancer patients. Such assistance promoted improvements in ambulation, oral feeding, cardiopulmonary fitness, oxygen saturation rates, reduced hospital stay, and emotional well-being.