Effect of a postoperative outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program on physical activity in patients who underwent pulmonary resection for lung cancer

Effect of postoperative exercise training on physical function and quality of life of lung cancer patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Postoperative rehabilitation programs consisting of exercise training are considered effective for unselected lung cancer patients. However, whether postoperative exercise is beneficial to lung cancer patients comorbid with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease remains unknown.

METHODS

Eighty-four patients diagnosed with both lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were randomized into the exercise group and control group. Both groups were given standard postoperative rehabilitation for 1 week. After that, oxygen therapy (if needed) and nebulization were given to the control group, while patients in the exercise group started to participate in exercise programs on the basis of receiving oxygen therapy and nebulization as in the control group. The exercise programs consisted of 24 training sessions.

RESULTS

In both groups, the functional status and the results of the pulmonary function test decreased from baseline to the endpoint. However, after surgery and the intervention program, both the maximal oxygen consumption in the cardiopulmonary exercise test and walking distance in the 6-minute walk test in the exercise group were significantly better than those in the control group [15.5 (±1.4) mL/kg/min vs 13.1 (±1.3) mL/kg/min, P = 0.016; 437.4 (±48.6) m vs 381.7 (±40.5) m, P = 0.040]. Force vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in the first second in the exercise group were better than those in the control group, but the differences were not statistically significant [1798.1 (±298.9) mL vs 1664.0 (±329.7) mL, P = 0.254; 1155.7 (±174.3) mL vs 967.4 (±219.4) mL, P = 0.497]. The decline in the standard score of the QLQ-C30 (V3.0) was smaller in the exercise group, but the difference did not meet a statistically significant level [61.7 (±5.7) vs 58.4 (±9.3), P = 0.318].

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates that a short-term postoperative exercise training program can facilitate the recovery of functional capacity in lung cancer patients with comorbidities of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Physicians' Knowledge of Pulmonary Rehabilitation in China: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective

To investigate the knowledge of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) among physicians involved in pulmonary disease management.

Methods

This multi-regional cross-sectional survey was conducted from December 12, 2019 to January 22, 2020. The participants were enrolled and an electronic questionnaire was exclusively sent to the members of the Lung Cancer Special Committee of the China Medicine Education Association through the WeChat platform. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the associated factors of high PR knowledge scores (≥ 18 points).

Results

From the 858 valid questionnaires, the routine implementation of PR was only reported for 16.95% of physicians. The main reason hindering the implementation of PR for patients was the limited knowledge and awareness of PR among the physicians involved (69.1%). A total of 618 and 240 physicians had high and low knowledge scores, respectively. Multivariable analysis suggests that the self-perception of PR knowledge (OR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.32-2.771, P = 0.001) was independently associated with high knowledge scores, while having no theoretical knowledge of PR was associated with poor knowledge scores (OR = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.26-0.72, P = 0.001).

Conclusion

Inadequate knowledge of pulmonary rehabilitation is evident among physicians who are involved in pulmonary disease management in China. This underscores the need for more comprehensive and standardized training to bolster their awareness and effective utilization of pulmonary rehabilitation.

Data-Driven Personalized Care in Lung Cancer: Scoping Review and Clinical Recommendations on Performance Status and Activity Level of Patients With Lung Cancer Using Wearable Devices

PURPOSE

Performance status (PS) is a crucial assessment for research and clinical practice in lung cancer (LC), including its usage for the assessment of the suitability and toxicity of treatment or eligibility for clinical trials of patients with LC. These PS assessments are subjective and lead to substantial discrepancies between observers. To improve the objectivity of PS assessments, Electronic Activity Monitoring devices (EAMs) are increasingly used in oncology, but how these devices are used for PS assessments in LC is an issue that remains unclear. The goal of this study is to address the challenges and opportunities of the use of digital tools to support PS assessments in patients with LC.

METHODS

The literature review followed PRISMA-ScR methodology. Searches were performed in the ScienceDirect, PsycInfo, ACM, IEEE Xplore, and PubMed databases. Furthermore, a panel discussion was performed to address the clinical use cases.

RESULTS

Thirty-two publications were found. Most of the studies used wrist accelerometry-based wearables (59%) and monitored sleep activity (SA; 28%) or physical activity (PA; 72%). Critical findings include positive usefulness of the use of wearables to categorize moderate-to-vigorous/light PA, which was associated with better sleep and health. In addition, steps and time awake immobile were found to be associated with risk of hospitalization and survival. Use cases identified included the health assessment of patients and clinical research.

CONCLUSION

There are positive experiences in the use of EAM to complement PS assessment in LC. However, there is a need for adapting thresholds to the particularities of patients with LC, for example, differentiating moderate-to-vigorous and light. Moreover, developing methodologies combining PS assessments and the use of EAM adapted to clinical and research practice is needed.

Global estimates of rehabilitation needs and disease burden in tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer from 1990 to 2019 and projections to 2045 based on the global burden of disease study 2019

Background

The global cancer burden is substantial and spiraling. Although rehabilitation specialists could offer assistance, oncologic rehabilitation is still underutilized and not a routine part of clinical oncology guidelines worldwide. Global investigations of disease prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs) for tracheal, bronchus, and lung (TBL) cancer are valuable for facilitating clinical practice improvement and health resource management. The objective of this study is to report the global estimates of rehabilitation needs and disease burden of TBL cancers from 1990 to 2019 and provide predictions for 2045.

Methods

To estimate the need for rehabilitation, the data used from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 to calculate the prevalence, YLDs, and the attributable risk factors of TBL cancer. The Bayesian age-period-cohort model and Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average model were established to forecast the future health burden. All analyses were done at the global level and then some in the aggregation with the seven World Bank regions. All the data were analyzed by R software (x64 version 4.2.1) and Microsoft Excel (version 2019).

Results

Globally in 2019, 3,212,307 cases of TBL cancer (95% UI 2,937,037-3,488,346) could have benefitted from rehabilitation, contributing to 544,215 (95% UI 396,134-700,099) YLDs. Over the past 30 years, the age-standardized rate (ASR) of prevalence (EAPC = 0.51) and YLDs (EAPC = 0.03) increased. Throughout this period, the global prevalence and YLDs counts were greater in males than females. The ASR of prevalence and YLDs are projected to show a slight downward trend by 2045 on the global scale, the overall prevalence and YLDs due to TBL cancer are likely to increase further, but all indicators show a growing trend in females.

Conclusion

TBL cancer remains one of the major public health issues globally. According to the forecasted results, the burden of YLDs due to TBL cancer will continue to rise, and the increment is higher in females than males. A rising number of patients worldwide will benefit from rehabilitation services in the future to achieve precise control and management throughout the TBL cancer patient lifecycle.

Systematic Review of Functional Outcomes in Cancer Rehabilitation

OBJECTIVE

To systematically review the evidence regarding rehabilitation interventions targeting optimal physical or cognitive function in adults with a history of cancer and describe the breadth of evidence as well as strengths and limitations across a range of functional domains.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Plus, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase. The time scope was January 2008 to April 2019.

STUDY SELECTION

Prospective, controlled trials including single- and multiarm cohorts investigating rehabilitative interventions for cancer survivors at any point in the continuum of care were included, if studies included a primary functional outcome measure. Secondary data analyses and pilot/feasibility studies were excluded. Full-text review identified 362 studies for inclusion.

DATA EXTRACTION

Extraction was performed by coauthor teams and quality and bias assessed using the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Classification of Evidence Scheme (class I-IV).

DATA SYNTHESIS

Studies for which the functional primary endpoint achieved significance were categorized into 9 functional areas foundational to cancer rehabilitation: (1) quality of life (109 studies), (2) activities of daily living (61 studies), (3) fatigue (59 studies), (4) functional mobility (55 studies), (5) exercise behavior (37 studies), (6) cognition (20 studies), (7) communication (10 studies), (8) sexual function (6 studies), and (9) return to work (5 studies). Most studies were categorized as class III in quality/bias. Averaging results found within each of the functional domains, 71% of studies reported statistically significant results after cancer rehabilitation intervention(s) for at least 1 functional outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings provide evidence supporting the efficacy of rehabilitative interventions for individuals with a cancer history. The findings should be balanced with the understanding that many studies had moderate risk of bias and/or limitations in study quality by AAN criteria. These results may provide a foundation for future work to establish clinical practice guidelines for rehabilitative interventions across cancer disease types.

Physical activity in surgical lung cancer patients: a systematic review

PURPOSE

Perioperative exercise could improve health outcomes of surgical lung cancer patients, but less is known about their natural physical activity (PA) behavior before exercise interventions. This review aimed to synthesize evidence on PA, regarding the following: (1) proportion of patients meeting PA guidelines, (2) amount of PA, (3) PA trajectory following surgery, and (4) correlates of PA before or after surgery.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review using PubMed, CINHAL, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus (July 2021). Observational or experimental studies that measure PA of lung cancer patients before/after surgery were included. We assessed methodological quality using the NIH Quality Assessment Tools and extracted data using a standardized form.

RESULTS

Seventeen studies (25 articles, N = 1737 participants) published between 2009 and 2021 were included. Fourteen studies had sample sizes less than 100. Thirteen studies were of fair quality and four studies were of good quality. Only 23-28% of patients met PA guideline (150 min/week moderate-vigorous PA) at 6 months-6 years after surgery. Patients took an average of 3822-10,603 daily steps before surgery and 3934-8863 steps at 1-3 months after surgery. Physical activity was lower at 1 day-3 months after surgery, compared with preoperative levels. Perioperative PA was positively associated with exercise capacity, quality of life and reduced postoperative complications.

CONCLUSION

This review suggests that PA is low among surgical lung cancer patients, and it may not recover within 3 months following surgery. Physical activity has the potential to improve postoperative outcomes. However, the existing evidence is weak, and future larger longitudinal studies are needed.

[Study on the Benefit of Postoperative Exercise Rehabilitation in Patients with Lung Cancer Complicated with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease]

BACKGROUND

Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) affects 45%-63% of lung cancer patients worldwide. Lung cancer patients complicated with COPD have decreased cardiopulmonary function and increased perioperative risk, and their postoperative exercise endurance and lung function are significantly lower than those with conventional lung cancer. Previous studies have shown that postoperative exercise training can improve the exercise endurance of unselected lung cancer patients, but it is unclear whether lung cancer patients with COPD can also benefit from postoperative exercise training. This study intends to explore the effects of postoperative exercise training on exercise endurance, daily activity and lung function of lung cancer patients with COPD.

METHODS

Seventy-four patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) complicated with COPD who underwent pneumonectomy in the lung cancer center of West China Hospital of Sichuan University from August 5, 2020 to August 25, 2021 were prospectively analyzed. They were randomly divided into exercise group and control group; The patients in the two groups received routine postoperative rehabilitation in the first week after operation, and the control group was given routine nursing from the second week. On this basis, the exercise group received postoperative exercise rehabilitation training for two weeks. Baseline evaluation was performed 3 days before operation and endpoint evaluation was performed 3 weeks after operation.

RESULTS

The exercise endurance, daily activity and pulmonary function test results of the two groups decreased from baseline to the end point. However, after the operation and intervention program, the maximum oxygen consumption of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test and the walking distance of 6-Minute Walking Test in the exercise group were significantly better than those in the control group [(13.09±1.46) mL/kg/min vs (11.89±1.38) mL/kg/min, P=0.033; (297±46) m vs (243±43) m, P=0.041]. The average number of we-chat steps in the exercise group was also significantly better than that in the control group (4,381±397 vs 3,478±342, P=0.035). Forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) in the exercise group were better than those in the control group, but the difference did not reach a statistically significant level [(1.76±0.19) L vs (1.60±0.28) L, P=0.084; (1.01±0.17) L vs (0.96±0.21) L, P=0.467].

CONCLUSIONS

Postoperative exercise rehabilitation training can improve exercise endurance and daily activity ability of patients with lung cancer complicated with COPD and promote postoperative rehabilitation.

Integrative Approaches to Minimize Peri-operative Symptoms

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Cancer patients who require surgery often experience peri-operative symptoms, including nausea, anxiety, and pain, which can significantly impair quality of life. Here, we review the evidence for using integrative approaches to manage these peri-operative symptoms.

RECENT FINDINGS

Conventional peri-operative pharmacologic interventions, such as opiates for pain control, can lead to adverse effects such as respiratory depression, prolonged hospital course, and long-term dependence. Integrative medicine, also known as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), has been explored as way to reduce peri-operative symptoms. Acupuncture, guided imagery, and loving-kindness meditation have all shown potential efficacy in reducing both peri-operative pain and anxiety in retrospective studies and small randomized controlled trials. Integrative medicine techniques, such as acupuncture, are a promising approach to control peri-operative symptoms without the associated adverse effects of more conventional pharmacologic interventions.

Findings of a feasibility study of pre-operative pulmonary rehabilitation to reduce post-operative pulmonary complications in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease scheduled for major abdominal surgery

Background: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at increased risk of complications and death following surgery. Pulmonary complications are particularly prominent.  Pulmonary rehabilitation is a course of physical exercise and education that helps people with COPD manage their condition.  Although proven to improve health outcomes in patients with stable COPD, it has never been formally tested as a pre-surgical intervention in patients scheduled for non-cardiothoracic surgery.  If a beneficial effect were to be demonstrated, pulmonary rehabilitation for pre-surgical patients with COPD might be rapidly implemented across the National Health Service, as pulmonary rehabilitation courses are already well established across much of the United Kingdom (UK). Methods: We performed a feasibility study to test study procedures and barriers to identification and recruitment to a randomised controlled trial testing whether pulmonary rehabilitation, delivered before major abdominal surgery in a population of people with COPD, would reduce the incidence of post-operative pulmonary complications.  This study was run in two UK centres (Oxford and Newcastle upon Tyne). Results:  We determined that a full randomised controlled trial would not be feasible, due to failure to identify and recruit participants.  We identified an unmet need to identify more effectively patients with COPD earlier in the surgical pathway.  Service evaluations suggested that barriers to identification and recruitment would likely be the same across other UK hospitals. Conclusions:  Although pulmonary rehabilitation is a potentially beneficial intervention to prevent post-operative pulmonary complications, a randomised controlled trial is unlikely to recruit sufficient participants to answer our study question conclusively at the present time, when spirometry is not automatically conducted in all patients planned for surgery.  As pulmonary rehabilitation is a recommended treatment for all people with COPD, alternative study methods combined with earlier identification of candidate patients in the surgical pathway should be considered. Trial registration: ISRCTN29696295, 31/08/2017.

Physical Activity and/or High Protein Intake Maintains Fat-Free Mass in Older People with Mild Disability; the Fukuoka Island City Study: A Cross-Sectional Study

Body composition changes with age, with fat mass (FM) increasing and fat-free mass (FFM) decreasing. Higher physical activity and high or adequate protein intake are thought to be beneficial in preventing the loss of skeletal muscle mass in the elderly. We aimed to investigate the relationships between physical activity, protein intake, and FFM in older people with mild disability. Total energy expenditure (TEE) under free-living conditions was assessed using the doubly-labelled water (DLW) method, and physical activity was measured using a triaxial accelerometer. Dietary intake was assessed using a self-recorded food intake diary during the DLW period. Percent FFM was significantly positively correlated with protein intake and physical activity level (PAL) after adjustment for age and sex (protein intake r = 0.652, p < 0.001, PAL r = 0.345, p = 0.011). In multiple linear regression analysis, when PAL, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), or protein intake were included, 31%, 32%, and 55%, respectively, of the variation in %FFM was explained. Moreover, the addition of both PAL/MVPA and protein intake explained 61%/60%, respectively, of the variation in %FFM. Either protein intake above the currently recommended level or higher levels of physical activity would be beneficial for the maintenance of high %FFM.

Mobile Health Management Platform-Based Pulmonary Rehabilitation for Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Prospective Clinical Trial

Background

Lung cancer patients experience various symptoms during treatment. Although pulmonary rehabilitation is an effective way to improve these symptoms, a medical environment of limited availability makes it difficult to provide seamless and adequate rehabilitation for lung cancer patients.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the effects of a personalized pulmonary rehabilitation program using real-time mobile patient health data for patients with non–small cell lung cancer.

Methods

We conducted a prospective clinical trial in 64 patients with non–small cell lung cancer aged between 20 and 80 years at a large tertiary hospital in Seoul, South Korea. A 12-week personalized pulmonary rehabilitation program, called efil breath, was administered to determine the effectiveness of the newly developed rehabilitation app. Participants were randomly allocated to the fixed exercise or fixed-interactive exercise group (which received the personalized program). We measured changes in 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) and dyspnea (modified Medical Research Council [mMRC] score) at 6 weeks; and quality of life and service satisfaction at 12 weeks. We used the paired t test to analyze the variables.

Results

Patients used the newly developed mobile health pulmonary rehabilitation app and a real-time patient monitoring website. In all participants, significant changes were observed in 6MWD at 12 weeks from a mean of 433.43m (SD 65.60) to 471.25m (SD 75.69; P=.001), and mMRC from a mean score of 0.94 (0.66) to 0.61 (SD 0.82; P=.02). The intervention significantly improved their quality of life (EuroQol-visual analog scale [EQ-VAS]) compared with baseline (mean score 76.05, SD 12.37 vs 82.09, SD 13.67, respectively; P=.002).

Conclusions

A personalized mobile health–based pulmonary rehabilitation app for recording and monitoring real-time health data of patients with non–small cell lung cancer can supplement traditional health care center–based rehabilitation programs. This technology can encourage improvement of physical activity, dyspnea, and quality of life.

A Review of Accelerometer-based Activity Monitoring in Cancer Survivorship Research

BACKGROUND

In the cancer survivorship context, physical activity and sedentary behavior have been measured using different methods.

PURPOSE

To conduct a narrative review of published research in cancer survivor populations to summarize the quality and identify gaps in reporting on accelerometer data collection, data processing, and outcome measures in cancer survivors.

METHODS

An initial PubMed® search of articles published in English was conducted in January 2017, and a final search was conducted in May 2017. Variables extracted included study characteristics, methods for accelerometry data collection (e.g., device used), data processing (e.g., cut points used), and data reporting (e.g., time spent in different activity intensities).

RESULTS

A total of 46 articles were eligible for inclusion in the review. The majority of studies (34 of 46) targeted a single cancer group and 18 of these 34 studies were in survivors of breast cancer. Half (54%) of the studies used an ActiGraph® accelerometer. Methods of accelerometer data processing varied across studies. Definitions of non-wear time, vectors used during processing, and filters applied during processing were reported by 51%, 60%, and 8% of studies, respectively. Most studies reported moderate and vigorous physical activity (78%), 50% reported sedentary time, and 43% reported light-intensity activity. Cut points to categorize these activities varied between studies.

CONCLUSIONS

This narrative review highlights inconsistency in the methods used to collect, process, and report accelerometry data across cancer survivor studies. Accelerometry has potential to add detailed knowledge of the levels and patterns of physical activities and sedentary behaviors across the cancer spectrum. Recommendations are made to improve data processing and reporting methods to maximize the scientific validity of future accelerometer research in this field.

Impact of preoperative exercise therapy on surgical outcomes in lung cancer patients with or without COPD: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives

This meta-analysis aimed to demonstrate the impact of preoperative exercise therapy on surgical outcomes in patients with lung cancer and COPD. Pulmonary function and muscle capacity were investigated to explore their potential links with outcome improvements after exercise.

Methods

Articles were searched from PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library with criteria of lung cancer patients with or without COPD, undergoing resection, and receiving preoperative exercise training. Key outcomes were analyzed using meta-analysis.

Results

Seven studies containing 404 participants were included. Patients receiving preoperative exercise training had a lower incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs; OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.27-0.71) and shorter length of hospital stay (standardized mean difference -4.23 days, 95% CI -6.14 to -2.32 days). Exceptionally, pneumonia incidence remained unchanged. Patients with COPD could not obviously benefit from exercise training to reduce PPCs (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.18-1.08), but still might achieve faster recovery. No significant difference in pulmonary function was observed between the two groups. However, 6MWD and VO₂ peak were significantly improved after exercise training.

Conclusion

Preoperative exercise training may reduce PPCs for lung cancer patients. However, for patients with COPD undergoing lung cancer resection, the role of exercise is uncertain, due to limited data, which calls for more prospective trials on this topic. Rehabilitation exercise strengthens muscle capacity, but does not improve impaired pulmonary function, which emphasizes the possible mechanism of the protocol design.

Prehabilitation in thoracic surgery

Surgical resection remains the best treatment option for patients with early stage of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, it may be responsible of postoperative complication and mortality, especially in patients with impaired pulmonary function. Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs have been focused mainly in minimal invasive surgery approach during lung resection and respiratory rehabilitation after surgery. Preoperative exercise-based intervention (prehabilitation) has demonstrated reduction of morbi-mortality in other surgeries but in thoracic surgery continues to be under discussion. Cardio-pulmonary exercise test (CPET) is the gold standard technique to predict postoperative morbi-mortality. The implementation of a preoperative respiratory rehabilitation could optimize patient's physical capacity before surgery and improve outcomes and enhance recovery. The aim of this systematic review of the literature is to identify the effectiveness and safety of prehabilitation programs in thoracic surgery, the type of exercise and its duration, and the group of patients with best benefit. Prehabilitation is a safe intervention without side effects in patients. High-intensity interval training (HIT) with duration of 2 to 6 weeks seems to be the best exercise programme in a prehabilitation intervention but it exists heterogeneity in terms of intensity and duration. Prehabilitation increase exercise capacity and significantly enhances pulmonary function. But the reduction of postoperative complication and mortality has not been clearly demonstrated. Different criteria selection, type of intervention and small sample size, in addition to no randomization, could justify disparate results. It seems that not all patients can benefit from prehabilitation and it could be indicated only in patients with impaired lung function. Further randomized clinical trials with enough patients, correct duration of HIT (2 to 6 weeks) and focused in COPD patients are needed to clarify the suitability of prehabilitation. Meanwhile, safety of prehabilitation and good results of some studies support this intervention in high-risk patients.

Physical behavior and associations with health outcomes in operable NSCLC patients: A prospective study

OBJECTIVES

Our objectives were to 1) characterize daily physical behavior of operable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, from preoperative to six months postoperative using accelerometry, and explore if physical behavior preoperative or one month postoperative is associated with better health outcomes at six months postoperative.

METHODS

A prospective study with 23 patients (13 female) diagnosed with primary NSCLC and scheduled for curative lung resection was performed. Outcome measures were assessed two weeks preoperative, and one, three and six months postoperative, and included accelerometer-derived physical behavior measures and the following health outcomes: six minute walking distance (6MWD), questionnaires concerning health-related quality of life (HRQOL), fatigue and distress.

RESULTS

On group average, physical behavior showed significant changes over time. Physical behavior worsened following surgery, but improved between one and six months postoperative, almost reaching preoperative levels. However, physical behavior showed high variability between patients in both amount as well as change over time. More time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in bouts of 10 min or longer in the first month postoperative was significantly associated with better 6MWD, HRQOL, distress, and fatigue at six months postoperative.

CONCLUSION

As expected, curative lung resection impacts physical behavior. Patients who were more active in the first month following surgery reported better health outcome six months postoperative. The large variability in activity patterns over time observed between patients, suggests that physical behavior 'profiling' through detailed monitoring of physical behavior could facilitate tailored goal setting in interventions that target change in physical behavior.

Perioperative physical exercise interventions for patients undergoing lung cancer surgery: What is the evidence?

Surgical resection appears to be the most effective treatment for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. Recent studies suggest that perioperative pulmonary rehabilitation improves functional capacity, reduces mortality and postoperative complications and enhances recovery and quality of life in operated patients. Our aim is to analyse and identify the most recent evidence-based physical exercise interventions, performed before or after surgery. We searched in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library and PsycINFO. We included randomised controlled trials aimed at assessing efficacy of exercise-training programmes; physical therapy interventions had to be described in detail in order to be reproducible. Characteristics of studies and programmes, results and outcome data were extracted. Six studies were included, one describing preoperative rehabilitation and three assessing postoperative intervention. It seems that the best preoperative physical therapy training should include aerobic and strength training with a duration of 2–4 weeks. Although results showed improvement in exercise performance after preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation, it was not possible to identify the best preoperative intervention due to paucity of clinical trials in this area. Physical training programmes differed in every postoperative study with conflicting results, so comparison is difficult. Current literature shows inconsistent results regarding preoperative or postoperative physical exercise in patients undergoing lung resection. Even though few randomised trials were retrieved, treatment protocols were difficult to compare due to variability in design and implementation. Further studies with larger samples and better methodological quality are urgently needed to assess efficacy of both preoperative and postoperative exercise programmes.

Factors associated with the effect of pulmonary rehabilitation on physical activity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

AIM

Although the effects of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) have been well defined for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), it remains controversial whether PR improves physical activity (PA). The purpose of the present study was to identify factors associated with the effect of PR on PA.

METHODS

This was a prospective study of 29 patients with COPD. They underwent pulmonary rehabilitation twice weekly for 12 weeks, and were assessed using the hospital anxiety and depression score, 6-min walk distance (6MWD), and the St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) before and after they underwent PR. The PA of patients was measured by a three-axis accelerometer. Physical activity level (PAL) was calculated by dividing each patient's total energy expenditure by basal metabolic rate. Correlations between changes in PAL after PR and 6MWD, St. George Respiratory Questionnaire, and hospital anxiety and depression score scores, and clinical parameters, including forced expiratory volume in 1 s were determined.

RESULTS

6MWD was significantly increased, but PAL was unchanged after PR. PAL was positively correlated with 6MWD, but not with percent predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s nor St. George Respiratory Questionnaire scores before PR. The increase in PAL was negatively correlated with changes in hospital anxiety and depression score anxiety and depression scores, but was not correlated with the change in 6MWD.

CONCLUSIONS

A PR program for COPD patients improved results of the 6MWD, but not PAL. Increased PAL was associated with improvements in anxiety and depression, but not with increased exercise capacity. Treating the depression and anxiety of patients with COPD might not only reduce emotional distress, but also improve their PAL. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 17-23.