Exercise important for lung cancer surgery recovery

PanARMENIAN.Net - Lung cancer patients who exercised after the surgery to remove their tumour experienced better fitness levels and strength in their leg muscles as well as less shortness of breath compared to those who did not, new research led by Curtin University has found.

The research, published in the Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews, examined whether exercise training was beneficial for people diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and who had a lung resection, a surgical procedure that removes the tumour as well as parts of the lung, in the past 12 months.

Lead author Dr. Vinicius Cavalheri, a Cancer Council WA Postdoctoral Fellow and Senior Lecturer from the School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science at Curtin University, said lung cancer continued to be a growing problem around the world, with NSCLC accounting for more than 85 percent of all cases globally.

"The survival rate for NSCLC is considerably better than small cell lung cancer, with an estimated 40 percent of people who undergo the lung resection surgery of the primary tumour likely to survive more than five years," Dr. Cavalheri said.

"In this systematic review, the results of studies that included participants who took part in exercise training such as aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, or a combination of both, within 12 months of the surgery were pooled together. We examined whether health outcomes such as fitness level, quality of life, muscle strength and symptoms of shortness of breath and fatigue could be improved through this type of training.

"The review found that people with NSCLC who exercise after lung surgery have better fitness levels and strength in their leg muscles, compared to those who did not. We also found that they experienced a better quality of life and less shortness of breath following exercise."