Journal of surgical oncology
September 14, 2026 · via Europe PMC
Plotting the Path to Recovery: Group-Based Trajectory Modelling of Physical Activity After Major Oncological Surgery to Predict Postoperative Outcomes.
Jansen E, Llorente CM, Bor P, van den Berg JW, Valkenet K.
AI summary — for doctors, generated from the abstract only
Among patients recovering from major oncological surgery, those with a rapid early physical activity recovery trajectory had a notably shorter hospital stay than those with minimal activity, though trajectory was not linked to complications or readmissions.
What was studied
A retrospective cohort study of 218 surgical oncology patients at the University Medical Center Utrecht, using group-based trajectory modelling of daily physical activity over the first five postoperative days to identify activity subgroups and their association with length of stay, complications, and 30-day readmission.
Key findings
- Three activity trajectories were identified: Minimal (n = 72), Moderate (n = 97), and Rapid Activity Recovery (n = 49).
- Rapid Activity Recovery patients had a 38% shorter length of stay than Minimal-trajectory patients (mortality rate ratio 0.62, 95% CI 0.50-0.77).
- Trajectory group was not significantly associated with complications or 30-day readmissions.
- Female sex (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.14-0.78) and higher ASA physical status classification (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.17-0.84) were associated with lower odds of being in the Rapid Activity Recovery group.
Clinical relevance
The findings suggest that early postoperative activity patterns may be a marker (or potential target) for shorter hospital stays after major oncologic surgery, supporting further exploration of real-time trajectory-based monitoring, though the review is observational and does not establish that increasing activity causes shorter stays.
Who should care
Limitations
Retrospective, single-center cohort study; association does not establish causation, and the abstract does not report on long-term outcomes beyond 30 days.
Patients with a rapid early activity recovery pattern after major cancer surgery had notably shorter hospital stays in this cohort study.
This is an AI-generated summary of the published abstract, not a clinical recommendation. It may not reflect the full text or subsequent updates — verify against the original source before acting on it.
Abstract
Background and methods
The role of early and increased activity on postoperative recovery is well established, yet the impact of its day-to-day variability remains unclear. This retrospective cohort study examined associations between early in-hospital postoperative physical activity trajectories and postoperative outcomes among 218 surgical oncology patients from the University Medical Center Utrecht. Group-based trajectory modelling identified subgroups based on daily activity patterns over the first five postoperative days. Primary analysis assessed associations between trajectory and length of stay (LOS), complications, and 30-day readmission. Secondary analysis explored sociodemographic and clinical predictors of trajectory.
Results
Three trajectories were identified: Minimal (n = 72), Moderate (n = 97), and Rapid Activity Recovery (n = 49). Compared with the Minimal group, Rapid Activity Recovery patients had a 38% shorter LOS (MR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.50-0.77). Trajectory was not associated with complications or readmissions. Female sex and higher American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification were associated with lower odds of belonging to the Rapid Activity Recovery group (OR: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.14-0.78 and OR: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.17-0.84, respectively).
Conclusions
Favorable early postoperative activity trajectories were associated with shorter hospital stay.
Discussion
Further exploration of real-time trajectory-based assessment towards the improvement of postoperative care is needed.
DOI
10.1002/jso.70398
PMID
42733979
Research metadata (titles, abstracts, authors, publication dates) is sourced from Europe PMC, which aggregates content from PubMed/MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and other providers under the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM/NCBI). NLM does not claim copyright on abstracts; the original journal publishers or authors may hold rights to the full articles. AI-generated summaries are derived only from the abstract, never the full text, and are always labeled as AI-generated.
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