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Preparing yourself for cancer treatment - prehabilitation

What is prehabilitation?

Prehabilitation (prehab) is the time you have before your cancer treatment starts. It is an opportunity for you to focus on your health and wellbeing and a chance to get stronger and fitter as you prepare for your treatment.

Prehab covers three main parts of your health:

  • Diet and nutrition
  • Physical activity  
  • Emotional wellbeing

Quitting smoking, cutting down on alcohol consumption and learning how to cope with tiredness will also help while you are being treated.

Please remember it is important that you attend all appointments that are sent to you from the hospital.

How does prehabilitation help?

Cancer may have already affected your appetite or your day-to-day activities.

Cancer treatment can also be a challenge for you physically, mentally, socially and emotionally. There are lots of things you can do to help manage the changes you may be experiencing or the way you are feeling.

Improving your physical activity, diet and mental wellbeing can help you cope with what lies ahead and will also enable you to take control and continue doing the activities that are important to you.

How does prehabilitation help?

See video below from Cancer Research UK explaining how important prehabilitation is:

  • Reduce complications and side effects that are associated with cancer treatment and to help speed up recovery
  • Enable you to do the things that matter to you
  • Work towards a more active lifestyle
  • Help you to feel more resilient and confident
  • Improve your mood and help manage anxiety and stress
  • Improve nutrition and make sure you have enough ‘fuel’ for the treatment ahead

Remember: The better you feel before any treatment starts, the easier the experience will be, and your recovery after treatment will be quicker.

What do you do now?

More advice on what prehabilitation involves:

 

Please note that the information on this site is a guide, and should not replace any individual advice you may have received from a healthcare professional. 

If you have concerns about your condition, please contact your hospital team. A booklet with the information on these pages will be available soon.

Useful resources and information: