Role of Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy: A Pilot Study

ABSTRACT

Background: Patients with advanced lung cancer often suffer from poor mobility and quality-of-life (QoL). Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) has been seen to improve exercise capacity and health-related QoL (HRQoL) in different respiratory diseases. Methods: The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of PR in advanced non-operable non-small cell lung cancer patients on several outcomes compared to the control group. Forty eligible patients were randomized to receive chemotherapy and 8-weeks of supervised, hospital-based PR twice a week (cases) vs only standard chemotherapy (controls). Exercise capacity (6-minute walk distance), HRQoL, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung (FACT-L) scale, spirometry, dyspnea score [modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) grade] and arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis were measured in both the groups at baseline and at the end of 8 weeks. Results: After PR, there was significant improvement in the 6MWD (change in 6MWD cases 16.3 + 34.3 m vs controls ?20.5 + 49 m; p = 0.03) and total FACT-L score (change in score cases 18.9 + 7.3 vs controls ?8.8 + 13.4; p ?0.001) in the 揷ases� group as compared to controls. However, there was no significant improvement in dyspnea, spirometry, and ABG values. Conclusions: Comprehensive PR can improve exercise capacity and HRQoL in advanced lung cancer patients on concurrent chemotherapy. It may be an integral part of the management of these patients.