Physical activity aids in recovery of cardiopulmonary function after lung cancer surgery

Cardiopulmonary function (CPF) recovery failure at 6 months after lung cancer surgery appears to be driven by reductions in lung function and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) from baseline to 2 weeks, suggests a study. Baseline PA and dyspnoea are also associated with the inability to recover CPF.

A group of researchers collected data from the prospective CATCH-LUNG cohort study, in which patients were divided into two groups based on 6-min walk distance (6MWD) at baseline and 6 months following surgery. CPF recovery failure was characterized by >50-m drop in 6MWD from baseline to 6 months after the lung cancer procedure.

The researchers excluded patients with a baseline 6MWD <400 m. Mixed effects models were used for the analysis and Poisson regression to determine the relative estimates for the predictors.

A total of 419 patients were included, of which 24.1 percent and 17.7 percent had failure of CPF recovery at 6 months and 1 year after surgery, respectively.

Multivariable analysis revealed the following factors to be associated with loss of CPF: baseline step count (relative risk [RR], per 1,000-steps lower, 1.05, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.01‒1.09), baseline dyspnoea (RR per 10-points higher, 1.15, 95 percent CI, 1.07‒1.23), decreased FEV₁% predicted from baseline to 2 weeks after surgery (RR per 10-percent lower, 1.30, 95 percent CI, 1.10‒1.53), and reduced MVPA from baseline to 2 weeks (RR, 1.95, 95 percent CI, 1.22‒3.11), or persistent low MVPA at baseline and 2 weeks following surgery (RR, 1.63, 95 percent CI, 1.04‒2.54).

“These results imply that engagement of perioperative PA is necessary to facilitate recovery of CPF after lung cancer surgery,” the researchers said.