Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33777780›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in oncology2021

A Pragmatic Non-Randomized Trial of Prehabilitation Prior to Cancer Surgery: Study Protocol and COVID-19-Related Adaptations.

Daniel Santa Mina, Daniel Sellers, Darren Au, Shabbir M H Alibhai, Hance Clarke, Brian H Cuthbertson, Gail Darling, Alaa El Danab, Anand Govindarajan, Karim Ladha and 6 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in oncology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
1.6field-weighted citation impact, top 14% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 20 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. The effect of BMI on survival outcome of breast cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2025
    Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Starting a surgical prehabilitation program: results from a pragmatic nonrandomized feasibility study.Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie · 2025
    Trial
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Perspectives on the Direction of Cancer Prehabilitation in the Pandemic and Beyond.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translation · 2022
    Article
  9. Review
  10. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.

Daniel Santa MinaFaculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Daniel SellersFaculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Darren AuDepartment of Anesthesia and Pain Management, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Shabbir M H AlibhaiFaculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Hance ClarkeFaculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Brian H CuthbertsonFaculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Gail DarlingFaculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Alaa El DanabClinical Nutrition, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Anand GovindarajanFaculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Karim LadhaFaculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Andrew G MatthewFaculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Stuart McCluskeyFaculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Karen A NgFaculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Fayez QuereshyFaculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Keyvan KarkoutiFaculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Ian M RandallFaculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
University Health Network · CAUniversity of Toronto · CAPrincess Margaret Cancer Centre · CAHealth Sciences Centre · CASinai Health System · CASt. Michael's Hospital · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundExperimental data highlight the potential benefits and health system cost savings related to surgical prehabilitation; however, adequately powered randomized controlled trial (RCT) data remain nascent. Emerging prehabilitation services may be informed by early RCT data but can be limited in informing real-world program development. Pragmatic trials emphasize external validity and generalizability to understand and advise intervention development and implementation in clinical settings. This paper presents the methodology of a pragmatic prehabilitation trial to complement emerging phase III clinical trials and inform implementation strategies.

methodsThis is a pilot pragmatic clinical trial conducted in a large academic hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to assess feasibility of clinical implementation and derive estimates of effectiveness. Feasibility data include program referral rates, enrolment and attrition, intervention adherence and safety, participant satisfaction, and barriers and facilitators to programming. The study aims to receive 150 eligible referrals for adult, English-speaking, preoperative oncology patients with an identified indication for prehabilitation (

conclusionThis pragmatic trial will provide evidence on the feasibility and viability of prehabilitation services delivered under usual clinical conditions. Study amendments due to the COVID-19 pandemic are presented as strategies to maintain prehabilitation research and services to potentially mitigate the consequences of extended surgery wait times.

Indexed as

cancercancer surgeryfeasibilityhealth qualityimplementation sciencepragmatic trialprehabilitation

Identifiers

PMID33777780
PMCPMC7987917
OpenAlexW3135813401

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.