Evaluating the Effectiveness of Geriatric-Specific Cancer Rehabilitation Programs on Patient Health Outcomes

Ali, Sayed Ibrahim; Elballah, Khaled; Begum, Nurjahan; Pathath, Abdul Wahab; Sayed, Alaa; Mohammed, Huda Hamdy; Shaban, Mostafa

doi:10.31557/APJCP.2024.25.6.2033

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Geriatric-Specific Cancer Rehabilitation Programs on Patient Health Outcomes

Document Type : Research Articles

Authors

¹ Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Al Hofuf, Saudi Arabia.

² College of Education, Department of Special Education, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia.

³ Department of Clinical Neuroscience, College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia.

⁴ Faculty of Nursing, Helwan University, Egypt

⁵ Faculty of Nursing, Cairo University, Egypt.

⁶ Geriatric Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Cairo University, Egypt.

10.31557/APJCP.2024.25.6.2033

Abstract

Objective: This study evaluated a specialized rehabilitation program’s impact on senior cancer patients’ quality of life. Methods: one hundred and thirty patients aged ≥65 years with various cancer types undergoing/recovering from treatment were enrolled in oncology clinics in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. The intervention arm (n=65) participated in a tailored geriatric cancer rehabilitation program. The control group (n=65) received standard oncology care. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) tool assessed the quality of life across physical, social, emotional, and functional domains. T-tests and multivariate regression analyses compared outcomes. Result: Total FACT-G scores showed a significantly higher quality of life for the geriatric cancer rehabilitation group versus standard care. Rehabilitation patients also demonstrated meaningful improvements across physical, social, and functional subscales. Rehabilitation involvement was the most predictive factor for optimized outcomes. Conclusion: Specialized geriatric cancer rehabilitation meaningfully improved several quality of life domains in older patients over standard care. Despite persistent barriers, rehabilitation programming optimized older cancer patients’ physical and psychosocial health. Oncology and geriatrics must collaborate to ensure evidence-based rehabilitation access meets older cohorts’ unique needs.

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