More people today are being diagnosed and treated for cancer than ever before. Treatment for cancer often involves surgery. A patients physical condition before surgery may have an effect on their recovery after surgery. Patients who are frailer (have poor physical strength and fitness) may find it more difficult to recover after surgery. This research study aims to discover whether patients entering surgery who are more frail have more problems and stay in hospital for longer after their surgery.
Patients with oesophageal and lung cancer will be invited to participate in this study when they are referred for surgery at St James’s Hospital. A total of fifty participants will complete measures of frailty with the researcher before their surgery and researchers will record background details (age, cancer type, activity levels and cancer treatment). Measures of frailty or frailty tests involve questions about physical activity and energy levels as well as simple tests such as timed walking. After surgery patients will allow the researcher to keep up to date with their recovery and length of stay in hospital. The study will compare the scores of less/more frail patients with post-operative recovery information. This will potentially identify whether frailty influences patients with lung and oesophageal cancer recovery from surgery.