Hampshire-based cancer charity’s unique exercise referral pathway for patients to boost recovery from treatment

PLANETS Cancer Charity, which helps patients with pancreatic, liver, colorectal, abdominal and neuroendocrine cancer, offers patients access to a qualified fitness expert as a routine part of their care following diagnosis.

The dedicated support is provided by Joanne Green who, as well as being a neuroendocrine cancer patient, is a co-founder of the charity and is now its director of operations.

In addition to more than 20 years in the fitness industry, she has a degree in exercise science, a diploma in exercise referral and a specialist qualification in cancer rehabilitation - alongside her own first-hand experience of exercise before, during and after cancer treatment.

Jo was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer - tumours which form in cells that interact with the nervous system or in glands that produce hormones and most commonly affect the pancreas, bowel or lungs - in 2011 and has had multiple operations since.

Her level of fitness allowed her clinical team, led by recently retired surgeon and PLANETS co-founder Neil Pearce, to adopt a radical approach to surgery and resulted in an early return to work, improved quality of life and has kept her disease under control 12 years later.

Over this period, the body of evidence behind ‘prehabilitation’ - a concept which helps patients recover from cancer surgery by increasing fitness levels before their operations - has grown significantly.

Pioneering research carried out at University Hospital Southampton in recent years showed high intensity exercise in the six weeks between chemotherapy and surgery returned patients’ physical fitness to pre-chemotherapy levels before they entered the operating theatre.

However, while some hospitals offer types of prehabilitation programmes for some specific cancers, it is not currently a standard part of cancer treatment protocols nationally.

“There is increasing evidence to show exercise before, during and after cancer treatment not only boosts the effectiveness of it but also reduces side effects such as fatigue and weight change as well depression and anxiety,” explained Jo.

“There is still some work to be done to ensure it is an integral component of a patient’s cancer treatment plan, which is why our charity has established a referral route via clinical nurse specialists to ensure there is additional support to help of advice and guidance.”

She added: “At PLANETS we are in the fortunate position of being able to offer a unique service whereby I am qualified in both fitness and specialist cancer rehabilitation, but am a patient myself experiencing what patients have or are going through.”

Since 2011, PLANETS has raised more than £1.9 million and has also established a network of patient support groups across the Wessex region.

*PLANETS currently has spaces available for the New Forest Marathon which takes place on Sunday September 10 with a range of options available including full and half marathons, 10k and 5k races, the team challenge, virtual run or woodland walk.

For more details, visit https://planetscharity.org/event/new-forest-marathon-2/