Prehabilitation in cancer care: an evolving field
Cancer treatment imposes significant physiological and psychological demands on patients whose reserves are already under strain. Prehabilitation, the systematic optimisation of physical, nutritional, and psychological condition prior to cancer treatment, has emerged as a promising strategy to build reserve and accelerate recovery. Yet critical questions remain around patient selection, optimal dose and delivery, and equitable implementation. In this editorial, we outline the current state of evidence, key challenges, and emerging priorities, and invite contributions to BMC Cancer's "Prehabilitation in Cancer Care" Special Collection.
Authors
- Christopher Gaffney
- Daniel Steffens (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9715-860X)
- Jessica Gorzelitz
- Jack Reeves
Institutions
- University of Technology Sydney (AU)
- University of Iowa (US)
- The University of Sydney (AU)
- New South Wales Department of Health (AU)
- University of Iowa Health Care (US)
- Lancaster University (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- BMC Cancer
- Published
- 2026-06-26
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-026-16404-5
- Primary Topic
- Cancer survivorship and care
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- North West Cancer Research