Beneficial Effect of Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Lung Cancer Patients Receiving Radiation Therapy

Asan Medical Center

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Lung Neoplasm Malignant

Treatments: Behavioral: Pulmonary rehabilitation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05414188

2022-0483

Details and patient eligibility

About

It is important for clinicians to maintain and support for exercise capacity and quality of life of lung cancer patients after radiation therapy, because radiation therapy also affect the lung function and general conditions of patients. The effect and safety of pulmonary rehabilitation is well-proven in various diseases. Because there is no standard treatment, the investigators will perform this study to clearly prove the effect of pulmonary rehabilitation in lung cancer patients receiving radiation therapy.

Full description

Roles of the radiation therapy in lung cancer are as followings; 1) to treat the lung caner stage 1 ~2 patients, who are inadequate for operation due to declined lung function, 2) to treat the locally advanced and inoperable stage 3 patients with concurrent chemotherapy, and 3) to palliatively treat the stage 4 patient. However, it is also possible that radiation therapy worsens the general weakness and lung function, although the degree of deterioration was generally less than lung resection. Therefore, it is crucial for clinicians to maintain and support for exercise capacity and quality of life of lung cancer patients after radiation therapy.

The effect and safety of pulmonary rehabilitation is well-proven in various diseases. Investigators presented a retrospective study about the effect of pulmonary rehabilitation in patients receiving radiation therapy, which showed less decreased lung function, less radiation related pneumonitis, and decreased mortality. Investigators will perform this study to clearly prove the effect of pulmonary rehabilitation in lung cancer patients receiving radiation therapy.

Enrollment: 70 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 20+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Lung cancer patients with scheduled radiation therapy (postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy and concurrent chemoradiation therapy) during more than 4 weeks (5 times a week, 20 times a week)
• Lung parenchymal cancer
• Consent to regular outpatient-based pulmonary rehabilitation program, considering residence and other factors.

Exclusion criteria

• Communication restrictions
• Failed to obtain consent form
• Accompanied by psychiatric problems or severe dizziness
• Patients have comorbidities, which are regarded as contraindications of pulmonary rehabilitation, such as severe pulmonary hypertension or hemodynamic instability

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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70 participants in 2 patient groups

Pulmonary rehabilitation group

Active Comparator group

Description:

Patients will receive the radiation therapy according to the existing schedule. Additionally, patients in pulmonary rehabilitation group will participate pulmonary rehabilitation program more than two times per week.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Pulmonary rehabilitation

Control group

No Intervention group

Description:

Patients will receive the radiation therapy according to the existing schedule. There will be no additional treatment