Investigation of The Physical and Functional Needs in Adult Cancer Patients Consulted to Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the physical and functional needs of hospitalized cancer patients consulted to physiotherapy and rehabilitation services.METHODSTotal of 176 patients with various cancer diagnoses who were treated at Hacettepe University Oncology Hospital and were consulted to physiotherapy and rehabilitation were included in this retrospective study. Patient data regarding diagnosis, metastasis condition, and treatment types, as well as rehabilitation needs such as performance of daily life activities, physical function deficiencies, and sensoryperception problems were evaluated and recorded by physiotherapists.RESULTSAverage age of the 87 male and 89 female patients included in this study was 56.25±14.53 years. According to evaluations of performance of daily life activities, 137 (77.8%) of the participants had difficulty with mobility, 132 (75%) had difficulty with transfer activities, and 106 (60.2%) had difficulty using the bathroom. It was observed that 162 (92%) of the patients experienced deconditioning, 150 (85.2%) had fatigue, and 149 (84.7%) had balance problems. In addition, 42 (24.4%) of the patients had sensory problems.CONCLUSIONIt is important to point out that cancer patients have various forms of rehabilitation needs, including functional deficiency, dependency in daily life activities, and sensory-perception-cognitive problems.