Effects of an early postoperative walking exercise programme on health status in lung cancer patients recovering from lung lobectomy

Abstract

To examine the effects of an early postoperative walking exercise programme on postlobectomy lung cancer patients. Few interventional studies on the postoperative health status of lung cancer patients have considered the efficacy of programmes designed to improve critical health variables. A two-group quasi-experimental, longitudinal approach repeated four times examined participant data collected 12-18 hours prior to surgery and again at one, three and six months after surgery. We assigned the first 33 enrolled participants to the intervention group and the second 33 to the control group. The intervention was a daily supervised walking exercise programme consisting of 12 weeks of brisk walking exercise that began on the day following transfer to the regular ward along with weekly telephone calls until 12 weeks after discharge. Health status was measured using a structured questionnaire (World Health Organization Quality of Life, brief version) and clinical tests (pulmonary function test and 6-minute walk test). We analysed data using general estimating equations, with p < 0·05 considered significant. Intervention group pulmonary and physical functions were increasingly better over time than those of the control group, with no significant difference in quality of life between the two groups. Compared to the control group, the intervention group earned significantly better values for FVC% at postoperative month 3 and for FEV1 % at postoperative months 3 and 6. Intervention group 6MWT scores were significantly better than those of the control group at postoperative months 1, 3 and 6. This study demonstrated the benefits of an early postoperative walking exercise intervention for pulmonary and physical function in postlobectomy lung cancer patients. The results may guide the design of appropriate interventions in the future. Clinical trials in other populations are needed to confirm the results of this study.