Functional recovery in cancer rehabilitation.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of inpatient rehabilitation on the motor and cognitive functional status of cancer patients, and to determine whether cancer diagnosis, rehabilitation impairment, physician-determined rehabilitation goals, and active cytotoxic treatment affect the magnitude of functional improvement.

DESIGN AND SETTING: A retrospective, case series of patients with an oncology diagnosis undergoing inpatient rehabilitation at a rehabilitation hospital.

PARTICIPANTS: A sample of 200 patients admitted for rehabilitation services due to disability resulting from impairments caused by cancer or its treatment.

INTERVENTION: Comprehensive multidisciplinary inpatient rehabilitation.

OUTCOME MEASURES: Function status was measured using the motor and cognitive measures of the Functional Independence Measure.

RESULTS: All patients made significant gains in motor function regardless of diagnostic group, rehabilitation impairment group, rehabilitation goal group, and cytotoxic treatment status. The magnitude of motor function gain was not equivalent across all impairments and rehabilitation goals. Significant gains in cognitive function were made by all patients except those with intracranial neoplasms, central nervous system dysfunction, and palliative rehabilitation goals.

CONCLUSION: Inpatient rehabilitation can improve both motor and cognitive function in patients with disability resulting from impairments caused by cancer or its treatment.