Background@#
Radiotherapy is a common
treatment option for
lung or
esophageal cancer, particularly when
surgery is not feasible for
patients with poor
lung function. However,
radiotherapy can
affect pulmonary function and thereby induce
pneumonitis or
pneumonia, which can be fatal in
patients with respiratory impairment. The purpose of this study is to evaluate if reductions in pulmonary function after
radiotherapy can be minimized through simultaneous pulmonary
rehabilitation (PR). @*
Methods@#In this matched
case control study, we retrospectively analyzed
patients who had undergone
radiotherapy for thoracic malignant
disease between January 2018 and June 2019. We analyzed results from
pulmonary function tests and 6-minute
walking tests (6MWT) conducted within the six months before and after
radiotherapy treatment. @*Results@#In total, results from 144
patients were analyzed, with 11 of the
patients receiving PR and
radiotherapy simultaneously. Of the 133
patients in the
control group, 33 were matched with 11
patients in the PR group. Changes in
forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and FEV1/
forced vital capacity were significantly different between the PR group and the matched
control group (240 mL vs. –10 mL, p=0.017 and 5.5% vs. 1.0%, p=0.038, respectively). The median distance of 6MWT in the PR group also increased significantly, from 407.5 m to 493.0 m after
radiotherapy (p=0.017). @*Conclusion@#Simultaneous PR improved pulmonary function, particularly in
measures of FEV1, and
exercise capacity for
patients with
lung or
esophageal cancer even after
radiotherapy treatment. These findings may provide an important base of
knowledge for further large
population studies with long-term follow-up
analysis in the identification of the PR’s effects during thoracic
radiotherapy.