'Like a cancer family': Lancashire clinicians cycle 140 miles for 'prehab' cancer treatment

A team of doctors have cycled hundreds of miles to raise money for a Preston cancer service.

18 clinicians from Lancashire Teaching Hospitals cycled a whopping 140 miles in two days, in a trip which would take them to eight football clubs across Lancashire and Cumbria.

The group cycled more than 80 miles each day, and have so far raised over £8,000 for the Rosemere Cancer Foundation in Preston Hospital.

“It was a lot of hard work at times,” said gastrointestinal surgeon Jeremy Ward, who took part in the ride.

“One of my colleagues described it as very uplifting, and I think it was - the whole team was very enthusiastic.

“I really like the challenges and planning things as well, so quite a few things came together.”

It was all done to spread awareness of cancer prehabilitation - the act of exercising during cancer treatment to improve patients’ health and wellbeing.

“I set up the pre-hab service with all the football clubs, though as a non-cycler, this was all very exciting,” said physiotherapist Susan Saul. “They were all so brilliant.

“Prehabilitation is technically preventative rehabilitation, so instead of waiting until you’ve finished your chemo, you use the time beforehand or during the treatment to keep yourself in as good general health as possible.

“It’s been proven to reduce the length of stay, complications during surgery, and readmission rate, and with chemo, there’s less severe side effects.”

According to Susan, the idea of prehabilitation is still a relatively new concepted, and has so far only been adopted in a small number of areas in the UK.

“It started in the 2010s, so it’s not that long of a concept,” she said.

“Trying to make it standard practice across the UK is really difficult, because it’s always seen as a ‘nice to have’. Prehabilitation services have had a bit of an uphill battle to get going.

“It started off with a nurse, a dietitian, and a physio, and now I’m the only one. As a physio based in Preston, I can help local patients far more than patients in, say, Barrow, so all this started as as a quest to see how we can support more people in their local communities.”

The cancer prehabilitation service offers a safe, supportive environment for people living with cancer.

It involves group sessions for adults that offer tailored strength and resilience exercises to aid treatment, as well as the opportunity to meet others in similar situations.

According to research by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, 75 per cent of those in the programme said they had found it easier to do daily activities.

68 per cent said they had felt less pain, and 69 per cent said they had felt less tired day-to-day.

“What we’ve been trying to do is tap into patients who maybe wouldn’t go and join the gym,” Susan said, “and obviously, football clubs have a massive following.

“We were hoping that if someone saw that their local football club was offering them support during their treatment, they might go, even if exercise was the last thing on their mind. It’s definitely had the impact we wanted.”

However, according to Jeremy and Susan, this has been their most successful fundraiser yet for the future of cancer prehabilitation.

On Wednesday (September 17), the team set off from their starting point in Barrow AFC, before heading towards Morecambe Town; Fleetwood Town; Blackpool; and Preston North End.

Along the way, they were sure to stop for a quick drink and catch-up at the Rosemere Centre, before finishing their journey at Blackburn Rovers; Accrington Stanley; and Burnley.

“I wouldn’t say we breezed through it,” Jeremy said. “It was a challenge.

“The first day was quite hilly to start with, and then flat and very windy as we came around Morecambe Bay. It was hard work, but people’s enthusiasm kept them going.

“We didn’t have any accidents - a few close shaves, but we had a support team with us. The whole thing came together really well, so I think by the end of it, everybody was tired, but happy.

“I think we need to try to raise more awareness of this so that we can continue beyond the 12-month pilot. Some of the feedback we’ve gotten from patients has been amazing.

“Some patients feel too embarrassed to go to a normal gym because they’re not fit and might have no hair, but they’re very happy to come to these classes because everybody understands everyone else. It’s like their own cancer family.

“It really surpassed my expectations.”

In all, the cyclists have far surpassed their original goal, and raised a whopping £8,004 for the foundation.

It will go towards funding patient care, new equipment, and the future of the prehab service next year.

Donations to the cause are still open on the team’s fundraising page.