Objective To determine the type and prevalence of rehabilitation problems common among cancer patients and to survey the patients' recognition of and need for rehabilitation services.

Method The current study was conducted using a questionnaire developed by our rehabilitation team. Five hundred seven cancer patients participated in the survey.

Results The percentage of patients with more than one problem from each physical, psychological, and socioeconomic categories were 87.1%, 48.2%, and 50.9% respectively. Cancer patients with needs of rehabilitation services related to physical, psychological, and socioeconomic problems comprised 77.1%, 84.6%, and 84.8%. However patients who had information about rehabilitation services related to physical, psychological, and socioeconomic problems were 22.7%, 44.7%, and 24.5%. The percentage of patients with actual rehabilitation problems needing rehabilitation services related to physical, psychological, and socioeconomic problems were 65.1%, 52.1%, and 63.6%, but only 18.2% of patients with physical problems and 5.3% of patients with psychological and socioeconomic problems received such services. The prevalence of rehabilitation problems and rehabilitation needs was very high not only in the group still receiving cancer treatment but also in the group which had completed cancer treatment.

Conclusion The results of this study suggest that cancer patients have various kinds of physical, psychological, socioeconomic problems differing between cancer types and cancer treatment states with high levels of rehabilitation needs. We contend that the results of this study camay not only be able to aidin the development of appropriate cancer rehabilitation programs but also be used as a basis for policy studies.

Objective
Exercise may contribute to alteration in cancer in many ways. The major cell in cellular immunity to defense against cancer cell is natural killer [NK] cell. So this study is aimed to investigate the effects of exercise on NK cell cytotoxic activity (NKCA) in breast cancer patients who underwent mastectomy.

Method: Thirty-one breast cancer patients who had undergone curative surgery were randomly assigned to an exercise group (n=16) and a non-exercise group (n=15). Exercise therapy was consisted of aerobic activity such as bicycle ergometer for 30 minutes, twice a day, five times each week for 2 weeks. The venous blood samplings were obtained on postoperative days 1, 7 and 14. NKCA was assayed by cytotoxic response against K562 cells. The venous blood samplings were obtained on postoperative days 1, 7 and 14. NKCA was assayed by cytotoxic response against K562 cells.

Results: The baseline study did not show any statistical difference between exercise group and non-exercise group. Mean NKCA of day 7 decreased in both groups compared with that at postoperative day 1 (p＜0.05). At day 14, the difference of the mean NKCA between two groups was not significant, but the mean NKCA of the exercise group without metastasis demonstrated a significant increase compared with that of the non-exercise group without metastasis (p＜0.05).

Conclusion: This study suggested that early moderate exercise had a beneficial effect on the function of NK cells in early stage of breast cancer patients after curative surgery. A further study will be needed to evaluate long-term effect of exercise on NK cell. (J Korean Acad Rehab Med 2003; 27: 250-254)