Preliminary work from this review suggests that exercise intervention compared with usual care both pre and post-surgery is associated with improved cardiopulmonary exercise capacity , increased muscle strength and reduced fatigue , post-operative complications and hospital length of stay .
BACKGROUND Surgery remains the best curative option for appropriately selected patients with lung cancer .
Evidence suggests that improving cardiovascular fitness and functional capacity can accelerate post-surgery recovery and reduce mortality .
However , the effect of exercise intervention for patients surgically treated for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer [ NCSLC ] has not been fully examined .
PURPOSE This review examines the literature regarding exercise intervention for patients who are surgically treated for NSCLC focussing on three key areas : method ological quality , intervention design ( e.g. duration , frequency , type ) and outcomes measured .
In-patient rehabilitation of lung cancer patients—a prospective study
Purpose It has not previously been shown whether there is any benefit to multi-morbid patients with lung cancer who participate in complex interdisciplinary rehabilitation programmes after primary therapy . The purpose of this prospect i ve study was to assess changes in exercise capacity and quality of life before and after an in-patient training programme . Patients and methods Forty-five patients with lung cancer ( WHO I-III after surgery and /or radiotherapy and /or chemotherapy )  were enrolled in a 28-day in-patient rehabilitation programme that included st and ardised aerobic training . Functional status and health-related quality of life ( QLQ-C30 , QLQ-LC13 , SF-36 , and MFI-20 ) were examined at the beginning of the study and at day 28 . Results A substantial increase in work performance ( bicycle ergometry from 68 ± 3 to 86 ± 4 W , p < 0.001 , and 6-minute walk test from 322 ± 11 to 385 ± 13 m , p < 0.001 ) was registered . In addition , heart rate at rest was reduced ( from 84 ± 2 to 80 ± 1 beats per minute , p < 0.05 ) and heart rate variability ( indicator of the efficacy of endurance training ) was significantly increased ( from 9.7 ± 1 to 12.9 ± 1 root mean square of successive differences , p < 0.001 ) . Moreover , there was also a significant improvement in quality of life ( 48 ± 3 to 62 ± 2 , p < 0.001 ) while fatigue was reduced from 66 ± 3 to 41 ± 4 , p < 0.001 . Conclusion A st and ardised , aerobic endurance training programme as part of the in-patient oncological rehabilitation of patients with lung cancer results in improvements in both physiological and psychological parameters after therapy . A follow-on study in order to determine to what extent this benefit persists over the long-term , particularly , in comparison with patients who have not participated in a rehabilitation programme , is currently being conducted
Preliminary work from this review suggests that exercise intervention compared with usual care both pre and post-surgery is associated with improved cardiopulmonary exercise capacity , increased muscle strength and reduced fatigue , post-operative complications and hospital length of stay .
BACKGROUND Surgery remains the best curative option for appropriately selected patients with lung cancer .
Evidence suggests that improving cardiovascular fitness and functional capacity can accelerate post-surgery recovery and reduce mortality .
However , the effect of exercise intervention for patients surgically treated for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer [ NCSLC ] has not been fully examined .
PURPOSE This review examines the literature regarding exercise intervention for patients who are surgically treated for NSCLC focussing on three key areas : method ological quality , intervention design ( e.g. duration , frequency , type ) and outcomes measured .