Newcastle’s Cancer Prehabilitation Program Expands to Regional NSW

newy.com.au – A pioneering Newcastle-based prehabilitation program designed to enhance cancer patients’ recovery before surgery is set to expand across five rural and regional communities in New South Wales. The initiative, aimed at improving survival rates and quality of life, has received a significant funding boost.

Led by Dr Jennifer Mackney, a clinical specialist physiotherapist at John Hunter Hospital and researcher with the University of Newcastle and HMRI, the project has been awarded an $800,000 Cancer Institute NSW Accelerated Research Implementation Grant. The funding will support an effectiveness and implementation study to scale up the Newcastle prehabilitation model in regional areas.

Each year, around 165,000 Australians are diagnosed with cancer, with approximately 132,000 requiring surgery. Prehabilitation—incorporating exercise, nutritional support, and psychological care—helps patients build physical and mental resilience before their operations. The approach has been shown to speed up recovery, reduce complications, and provide patients with a greater sense of control over their health.

Dr Mackney emphasised the benefits of prehabilitation in improving post-surgical outcomes. “Physical fitness and well-being are crucial for better surgical results. Unfortunately, cancer and its treatments can significantly impact a patient’s physical activity, nutrition, and overall health, increasing the risk of poor surgical outcomes,” she said.

Research has demonstrated that multimodal prehabilitation before cancer surgery can enhance physical function, halve the rate of postoperative complications, and shorten hospital stays. However, access to these programs remains limited, particularly in regional and rural areas where cancer patients often face additional challenges in receiving specialised care.

The Newcastle-based program, known as ‘C-SPRITES’ (Supported Prehabilitation – Improving fitness, ensuring well-being before surgery in people living with cancer), is designed to bridge this gap. “This grant allows us to implement the C-SPRITES hybrid model of care within regional communities,” Dr Mackney explained. “Our approach will combine in-person support from local health providers with telehealth services delivered by the Newcastle team.”

The initiative builds on previous research funded by the NSW Regional Cancer Research Network and is part of a broader effort by the University of Newcastle to enhance health outcomes in regional communities. By improving access to prehabilitation services, the program aims to benefit not only patients but also hospitals, referrers, and community healthcare partners.

Dr Mackney, who is also a respiratory scientist, collaborates with HMRI’s Surgical and Perioperative Care Research Program and is a key member of the NSW Regional Cancer Research Network. The project highlights the University of Newcastle’s commitment to advancing medical research and ensuring better health for communities across NSW.