Health · Medical Research · 1 hr ago
Pre-surgery activity linked to lower risk of delirium after cancer operations
A US research team studied 258 people who had cancer surgery in 2024 and 2025.
Patients who reported walking or doing moderate or vigorous activity at least seven times a week had a 50% lower risk of delirium after surgery than less active patients.
Delirium is a sudden state of confusion that can affect attention, memory and thinking, and is especially common among older patients.
It affects about one in five surgery patients and can be linked to slower recovery, longer hospital stays and a higher risk of death.
The study adds to interest in prehabilitation, which uses steps such as exercise and nutrition to prepare patients for surgery.
But researchers cannot show that activity directly prevented delirium, because the study compared past records and relied on patients’ own reports of activity.
The lead researcher advises patients to ask their medical team how to stay active safely and whether a prehabilitation program could help.
A study of 258 cancer surgery patients found that those reporting at least seven weekly sessions of walking or moderate-to-vigorous activity had a 50% lower risk of delirium after surgery than less active patients.
The study was presented at the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ annual meeting in San Diego.
Researchers examined patients who had surgery to remove cancerous tumors in 2024 and 2025.
Delirium occurred in 64 patients, while 194 did not develop it.
The researchers said the retrospective study relied on patient-reported activity and could not establish that exercise directly reduced delirium risk.
- Who
- A US research team led by Jeffrey Huang at Moffitt Cancer Center studied 258 cancer surgery patients.
- What
- The study found that patients reporting at least seven weekly sessions of walking or moderate-to-vigorous activity had a 50% lower risk of post-surgery delirium than less active patients.
- When
- The findings were presented on October 19, 2026. The patients had surgery in 2024–2025.
- Where
- The findings were presented in San Diego at the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ annual meeting.
- Why
- The study examined whether activity before cancer surgery was associated with the risk of delirium afterward.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The researchers studied patients who underwent surgery to remove cancerous tumors.
The findings were presented at the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ annual meeting in San Diego.
- Patients studied
- 258
- Study period
- 2024–2025
- Weekly activity linked to lower risk
- At least 7 sessions of walking or moderate-to-vigorous activity
- Difference in delirium risk
- 50% lower among the more active patients
- Delirium cases
- 64; 194 patients did not develop delirium
What people are saying
People may know that exercising before surgery helps the body recover faster, but this study shows that exercise may also help protect the brain
Preparing for surgery does not start on the day of surgery