Lagos-Morillo et al. (2026)
Abstract
Introduction. Cancer surgery causes an acute reduction in physiological reserve, especially in
patients with frailty, sarcopenia, malnutrition, or undergoing neoadjuvant therapy. Multimodal
prehabilitation aims to modify these factors before surgery through exercise, nutritional support,
psychological intervention, and medical optimization. Objective. To evaluate the impact of
multimodal prehabilitation on functional capacity, complications, length of hospital stay,
readmissions, mortality, and patient-centered outcomes after cancer surgery. Methods. A
systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Studies were searched
in PubMed/MEDLINE, Europe PMC, and the Cochrane Library up to July 21, 2026, supplemented
by reference tracing. Adults undergoing cancer surgery who received at least two prehabilitation
modalities before the operation were included. Risk of bias was assessed using RoB 2 and
ROBINS-I. Due to clinical and methodological heterogeneity, a narrative synthesis was performed
following SWiM. The protocol was not registered in PROSPERO. Results. Twenty-four studies
with 2078 participants were included: 16 randomized trials and 8 non-randomized studies.
Seventeen studies showed a favorable trend regarding functional capacity, although the
magnitude and timing of assessment varied. Eight studies reported a reduction in total, serious,
medical, pulmonary, or intraoperative complications; ten found no significant differences, and six
were not designed for that outcome. Length of stay was shorter in six studies but remained
unchanged in eleven. Readmissions and mortality rarely improved. Benefits were clearer in
supervised or semi-supervised programs, frail or high-risk patients, and studies with functional
objectives. Overall certainty was moderate for functional capacity and low for most clinical
outcomes. Conclusion. Multimodal prehabilitation is safe, feasible, and effective for increasing
functional reserve before cancer surgery. It may reduce serious complications in selected
populations, but the evidence does not support a uniform reduction in all complications or in length
of stay. Standardized protocols, common outcomes, and multicenter trials with risk stratification
are needed.
Keywords: prehabilitation; cancer surgery; exercise; nutrition; postoperative complications;
functional capacity; systematic review.
comorbilidad
cardiopulmonar
o
1. Introducción
deterioro secundario a quimioterapia
y radioterapia neoadyuvantes [1,2].
La cirugía continúa siendo un
componente esencial del tratamiento
La prehabilitación desplaza parte de
curativo
o
citorreductor
de
la
recuperación
al
periodo
numerosos tumores sólidos. Sin
embargo, el estrés quirúrgico
comprendido entre el diagnóstico y la
cirugía. Su finalidad no es
únicamente aumentar el rendimiento
físico, sino preparar al paciente para
tolerar el tratamiento mediante un
paquete individualizado que suele
integrar ejercicio aeróbico y de
fuerza, intervención nutricional,
apoyo psicológico, entrenamiento
desencadena
alteraciones
catabólicas,
y
inflamatorias,
cardiorrespiratorias
neuroendocrinas que reducen la
reserva funcional y pueden retrasar
el retorno a la autonomía. Esta
vulnerabilidad es mayor en pacientes
con edad avanzada, fragilidad,
respiratorio,
cese
tabáquico,
sarcopenia,
desnutrición,
26