"Rebond": sport for a new lease on life

Fanny Trifilieff: What was the starting point for this research project?

Sarah Calvin: It's a meeting of two areas of expertise. On the one hand, we were interested in the psychosocial determinants of top-level sporting performance, particularly the interpersonal relationship between coach and trainee. We know that the coach's role is crucial to the athlete's sporting performance. Beyond sport, it's trust, communication, cooperation and commitment that come into play to maintain the athlete's motivation and well-being. It was precisely these aspects that brought us into contact with doctors at the Institut Paoli-Calmettes (IPC). They were finding that patients in remission from cancer were finding it hard to project themselves, to change their "sick" identity and reinvest in their new life. We therefore drew a parallel with the sporting context, with a view to remotivating these patients in remission through support inspired by sports coaching. These questions concerning the social support of post-cancer patients led to the creation of our "Cancer Sports Management" research unit, jointly headed by Professors Patrice Viens and Pierre Dantin.

F.T: Tell us about the Rebond program.

S.C: This program was developed in collaboration with Prof. Didier Blaise, who heads the IPC's cell therapy program and is also a member of our research unit. The 1st Rebond program involved a group of around thirty patients who had received a bone marrow transplant following hematological cancer. The transplant process is complex, requiring periods of protected hospitalization. The post-transplant period is also fraught with difficulties and constraints. Away from the hospital, patients must be autonomous in their care. The period of immune consolidation disrupts a return to social life. Patients often express a need for social support. With this in mind, we have set up the Rebond program: offering personalized coaching sessions outside the hospital setting for 6 months after transplantation, at the rate of one session per month. The aim was to encourage patients' psycho-social recovery. During this first program, we tested its feasibility. The program helps patients to make the transition from hospital to life more serenely. Taking part in sports, a symbol of vitality, has a positive impact, as it helps patients to reappropriate their bodies following illness, and to build up their self-confidence.

F.T: What are the next steps?

S.C: We are currently evaluating the effectiveness of the program with around a hundred patients. The program is now offered as early as 3 months post-transplant, and we are studying the effect on participants' quality of life. As before, the coach helps to set objectives tailored to each patient, to create a personalized pathway giving them the resources to regain control of their lives. The inclusion of former patient-partners in our research team brings added value to the relevance of our research reflections. This project has received financial support from the French National Cancer Institute, confirming the relevance of this type of intervention in the patient's life. At the same time, in conjunction with the Faculty of Medical and Paramedical Sciences, we have launched a university certificate in "High-level sport and coaching in oncology", open to former patients, doctors, support professionals and high-level athletes. Thanks to this experience, combining adapted physical activity and coaching, other projects have been set up. We are expanding to other types of cancer, and thanks to the support of the Région Sud, we are now paying particular attention to the needs of adolescent and young adult patients.