Key result
Higher ClinFIT scores correlate with higher ASA physical status and lower functional capacity during cancer prehabilitation.
Why the study?
The construct validity and clinical associations of the Clinical Functioning Information Tool (ClinFIT) with preoperative risk and functional capacity measures in colorectal cancer prehabilitation were not established.
Does the Clinical Functioning Information Tool (ClinFIT) correlate with routinely collected preoperative risk and functional capacity measures in adults with colorectal cancer?
Observational (n=64)
No
Does the Clinical Functioning Information Tool (ClinFIT) correlate with routinely collected preoperative risk and functional capacity measures in adults with colorectal cancer?
p-value: p=<0.001
ClinFIT shows strong associations with participation, functional capacity, and selected preoperative vulnerability measures in colorectal cancer prehabilitation, supporting its potential as a multidimensional screening tool.
ClinFIT may support preoperative assessment in colorectal cancer; leaves open its predictive utility for outcomes in prospective trials.
Objective: To evaluate the construct validity and clinical associations of the Clinical Functioning Information Tool (ClinFIT) with routinely collected preoperative risk and functional capacity measures in a colorectal cancer prehabilitation cohort. Design: Prospective observational study of routinely collected prehabilitation clinic data. Methods: Adults with colorectal cancer at a tertiary cancer centre were assessed in the prehabilitation clinic using validated tools and anaesthetic and surgical risk indices, including ClinFIT, Community Integration Questionnaire-Revised (CIQ-R), prehabilitation multidisciplinary risk ratings, functional capacity and cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET)-derived risk category, nutrition screening and socioeconomic indices. Associations were examined using Spearman's rank correlations. Results: Participants (n = 64, mean age: 60.8±13.5 years, 54.7% male) had a median acute length of stay (LoS) of 15 days (IQR: 10-20.5). Higher ClinFIT scores moderately correlated with higher American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status (p <0.001), CPET physiological vulnerability/risk (p =0.013), and prehabilitation multidisciplinary risk ratings (p <0.001). ClinFIT showed strong inverse correlations with self-reported functional capacity on the Duke Activity Status Index (p <0.001) and participation (CIQ-R total score) (p <0.001). ClinFIT did not correlate significantly with LoS, procedure-focused surgical risk indices, nutrition screening, or socioeconomic disadvantage. Conclusion: ClinFIT showed strong associations with participation, functional capacity, and selected preoperative vulnerability measures in this colorectal cancer prehabilitation cohort. These findings support its potential role as a multidimensional screening and assessment tool from a rehabilitation perspective. Further work should examine whether ClinFIT provides clinically useful information beyond existing preoperative measures and supports its practical use in preoperative oncology care.
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Rujites et al. (2026) conducted an observational in colorectal cancer (n=64). Clinical Functioning Information Tool (ClinFIT) was evaluated on Associations of ClinFIT with preoperative risk and functional capacity measures (p=<0.001). Higher ClinFIT scores in colorectal cancer prehabilitation correlated significantly with higher ASA physical status (p<0.001) and showed strong inverse correlations with functional capacity (p<0.001).
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