FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME FOLLOWING REHABILITATION OF THE CANCER-PATIENT

Objective: To identify impairments resulting from cancer or its treatm ent in patients undergoing inpatient rehabilitation, to assess the ext ent of functional gains, and to determine if cancer type, ongoing radi ation treatment, or the presence of metastatic disease influences func tional improvement. Design and Setting: A retrospective, case series o f cancer patients undergoing inpatient rehabilitation at a free-standi ng, university-affilitated rehabilitation hospital. Participants: A re ferred sample of 159 patients admitted because of functional impairmen ts resulting from cancer or its treatment during a 2-year time period. Intervention: Comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation. Main Outcome Me asure: Functional status as measured by the motor score of the Functio nal Independence Measure. Results: Significant functional gains were m ade between admission (mean = 42.9) and discharge (mean = 56.0; p < .0 01), with all cancer subgroups making similar gains. The presence of m etastatic disease did not influence functional outcome, and those pati ents receiving radiation actually made larger functional improvement ( p = .025). Conclusion: Individuals impaired by cancer or its treatment benefit from inpatient rehabilitation. The presence of metastatic dis ease or ongoing radiation should not preclude participation. (C) 1996 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American A cademy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation