Introduction
In Finland, approximately 4800 people fall ill each year with
gastroenterological cancer. In 2007, 866 people in Kuopio
University Hospital district developed gastroenterological
cancer. The most common cancers in both women and men
are colorectal, gastric and pancreatic cancers (Finnish Cancer
Registry 2007). Upper abdominal surgery is painful because the
wound is in the breathing area and interferes with abdominal
muscle use for deep breathing, coughing and moving (Ashburn