Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Individuals with head and neck cancer (HNC) often face physical and quality of life challenges after reconstructive surgery to remove the cancerous tumour. Exercise can help, but not many studies have looked at the impact of exercise programs before and after HNC surgery. We wanted to understand how physicians and exercise specialists can facilitate the implementation of these programs. HNC patients preparing for reconstructive surgery were eligible. They had regular exercise and behavior change support either over the phone or in person before and after surgery. Physician referrals, study enrollment, and exercise / behavior change support feasibility was evaluated. There were 62 referrals from physicians (~3.6 per month), and 30 patients joined the program. Some couldn't participate due to communication problems or time issues. Most participants were men around 61 years old. On average, it took about 2.1 weeks from the surgery consult to join the program and 1.9 weeks from joining to surgery. We had a total of 238 sessions, and ~90% were completed. Each session was ~24-minutes and focused on exercises and helping patients move better during all phases of their treatment. Topics discussed during sessions included early mobility, setting goals, dealing with challenges, and staying motivated. Because patients go into surgery quickly and often feel very stressed, enhanced support to help them move better and deal with physical issues is needed. Using a personalized approach to address each person's needs, work to understand how these sessions affect physical activity and long-term results is ongoing.