title: Inpatient rehabilitation performance of patients with paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the functional improvement of rehabilitation inpatients with paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review.
  
  
  METHODS
  Referral-based hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cancer rehabilitation inpatients (N=7) admitted to 3 different cancer centers with a diagnosis of paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records were retrospectively analyzed for demographic, laboratory, medical, and functional data.
  
  
  METHODS
  FIM.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 7 patients were white women (median age, 62y). Primary cancers included ovarian carcinoma (n=2), small cell lung cancer (n=2), uterine carcinoma (n=2), and invasive ductal breast carcinoma (n=1). Mean admission total FIM score was 61±23.97. Mean discharge total FIM score was 73.6±29.35. The mean change in total FIM score was 12.6 (P=.0018). The mean length of rehabilitation stay was 17.1 days. The mean total FIM efficiency was .73. Of the 7 patients, 5 (71%) were discharged home, 1 (14%) was discharged to a nursing home, and 1 (14%) was transferred to the primary acute care service.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate the functional performance of a group of rehabilitation inpatients with paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration. Despite the poor neurologic prognosis associated with this syndrome, these patients made significant functional improvements in inpatient rehabilitation. When appropriate, inpatient rehabilitation should be considered. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed.
authors: Department of Palliative Care and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX. Electronic address: jfu@mdanderson.org.
authors: Jack B
authors: JB
authors: Fu
authors: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Carolinas Health System, Charlotte, NC.
authors: Vishwa S
authors: VS
authors: Raj
authors: Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA.
authors: Arash
authors: A
authors: Asher
authors: Department of Educational Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX.
authors: Jay
authors: J
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Palliative Care and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Guo
authors: Department of Palliative Care and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors: Benedict S
authors: BS
authors: Konzen
authors: Department of Palliative Care and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors: Eduardo
authors: E
authors: Bruera
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D020362:Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013070:Speech Therapy; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*
keywords: Inpatients; Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration; Rehabilitation