Do patients with lung cancer benefit from physical exercise?

Figures & data

Figure 1. Flowchart of subject.

Table I. Demographic characteristics of the 24 patients initiating exercise at baseline. Data presented as median and range unless otherwise stated.

Demographic characteristics	Women (n = 10)	Men (n = 14)
Age (years)	67 (48–76)	64 (55–77)
Height (cm)	160 (158–169)	177 (166–194)
Weight (kg)	67 (52–120)	82 (68–100)
BMI (kg/m^2)	25 (19–48)	26 (21–36)
FEV1 (liters)	1.3* (0.8–2.0)	1.9* (1.3–3.0)
FEV1/pred. (%)	63* (38–80)	51* (39–85)
Smoking status (number) Current Former Never	181	4100
Previously surgically treated (number)	2	3
NSCLC (number)	8	11
SCLC + Mixed (number)	2	3
Chemo before intervention	8	11
Radiation before intervention	3	5
TKI before intervention	1	0
Chemo during intervention (number)	1	2
Radiation during intervention (number)	1	3
TKI during intervention (number)	1	2

FEV1: Forced Expiratory Volume during the first second. FEV1 pred.: Percent of FEV1 predicted from height, weight, gender, age and ethnicity. TKI: tyrosin kinase inhibitor (erlotinib)

*Pulmonary function was not measured in two patients: One woman and one man, consequently n = 9 for women and n = 13 for men.

Figure 2. Incremental Shuttle Walk Test results pre- and post intervention.

Figure 3. Endurance Shuttle Walk Test results pre- and post intervention.

Table II. Patient reported quality of life: EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-LC13

QLQ-C30 Subscale (n = 16)	Base line	Post intervention
Global health status/Qol.	67 (25–83)	67 (17–92)
Physical functioning	70 (33–87)	73 (33–93)
Role functioning	67 (0–100)	67 (0–100)
Emotional functioning	88 (17–100)	92 (58–100)
Cognitive functioning	92 (17–100)	100 (33–100)
Social functioning	92 (33–100)	100 (50–100)
Fatigue	22 (11–89)	33 (11–100)
Nausea and vomiting	0 (0–67)	0 (0–33)
Pain	8 (0–67)	17 (0–100)
Dyspnoea	50 (33–100)	33 (33–100)
Insomnia	17 (0–67)	0 (0–67)
appetite loss	33 (0–100)	0 (0–67)
Constipation	0 (0–67)	0 (0–67)
Diarrhea	0 (0–100)	0 (0–33)
Financial difficulties	0 (0–67)	0 (0–33)
QLQ–LC13 Subscale (n = 15)
Dyspnoea	33 (11–89)	33 (11–100)
Coughing	33 (0–67)	33 (0–67)
Haemoptysis	0 (0–0)	0 (0–33)
Sore mouth	0 (0–67)	0 (0–100)
Dysphagia	0 (0–33)	0 (0–33)
Peripheral neuropathy	0 (0–100)	0 (0–100)
Alopecia	0 (0–100)	0 (0–100)
Pain in chest	0 (0–67)	33 (0–100)
Pain in arm or shoulder	33 (0–67)	0 (0–100)
Pain in other parts	33 (0–67)	0 (0–100)