Frailty in survivors of cancer – exploring rehabilitation to improve frailty outcomes (REHAB-FIC)

Project Summary

Although both frailty and cancer can occur at any age, they are predominantly seen in the aging population. Frailty is characterized as an increased vulnerability leading to worse health outcomes and increased risk of mortality. As the aging population increases in Canada, there is an increased number of cancer diagnoses and higher frailty levels, resulting in a greater number of adults with both cancer and early frailty. Rehabilitation has been effective at improving outcomes in those with cancer and decreasing the number of frailty characteristics present in older adults. While it appears frailty and cancer occur in tandem, the association between cancer and frailty and the potential for rehabilitation strategies to alter the effect of frailty in those with cancer is not well understood. This project aims to fill that gap and will help inform future rehabilitation strategies for the treatment of individuals living with cancer to prevent and manage frailty.