Clinical trial · Interventional
Singing Training vs Usual Care 6-18 Months After Surgical Resection for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
Effects and Mechanisms of Online Delivered Singing Training vs Usual Care in Patients With Persistent Symptoms 6-18 Months After Surgical Resection for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) - a Multi-centre RCT
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
People who have undergone curative surgery for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) often experience reduced quality of life (QoL), a high burden of symptoms, and physical deconditioning. Current Danish rehabilitation offers are heterogeneous and inconsistent and not tailored to the specific needs of this population. Additionally, some patients continue to suffer from persistent physical symptoms months or even years after surgery, yet no targeted support is currently available for them. Singing - delivered as a structured form of training - has shown benefits in improving both physical and psychological outcomes in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although singing has not yet been studied in NSCLC patients, the two conditions share overlapping symptoms and characteristics. Therefore, the present study aims to explore whether a singing-based intervention can help reduce symptom burden and improve physical function and QoL in NSCLC patients 6 to 18 months post-surgery. To test this, a multi-centre randomised controlled trial (RCT) will be conducted, comparing a singing intervention to usual care. Given that travel and distance often pose significant barriers to participation, the intervention will be delivered online.
Conditions
Conditions (2)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer | Lung Non-Small Cell Carcinoma | ALIAS | 0.90 |
Interventions
Interventions (2)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Control group: Usual care | Behavioral | — | UNRESOLVED |
| Singing training (Singing for Lung Health (SLH)) | Behavioral | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (2)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Intervention: Singing training (Singing for Lung Health (SLH))
- description
- 10 weeks of singing training (conducted according to the Singing for Lung Health (SLH) approach). The singing training will be delivered online (1 1/2 hour twice a week) by professional singing teachers specifically trained and experienced within SLH. Sessions include physical, vocal, and breathing exercises and musical repertoire. Besides, movement, dancing, and artefacts for playful games are included along with singing. Each session consists of 20 min physical warm-ups, 20 min vocal warm-up with rhythm and pitch games, 40 min singing (incl. break), and 10 min cool-down. Participants are allowed to participate in additional offer of structured or unstructured offer physical exercise training and/or singing along with the project.
- interventionNames
- Behavioral: Singing training (Singing for Lung Health (SLH))
- type
- OTHER
- label
- Control group: 1) Usual care, followed by Singing training (Singing for Lung Health (SLH))
- description
- 10 weeks of usual care (i.e., no specific additional intervention above those which the person usually engages with), followed by 10 weeks of singing training (conducted according to the Singing for Lung Health (SLH) approach). The singing training will be delivered online (1 1/2 hour twice a week) by professional singing teachers specifically trained and experienced within SLH. Sessions include physical, vocal, and breathing exercises and musical repertoire. Besides, movement, dancing, and artefacts for playful games are included along with singing. Each session consists of 20 min physical warm-ups, 20 min vocal warm-up with rhythm and pitch games, 40 min singing (incl. break), and 10 min cool-down. Participants are allowed to participate in additional offer of structured or unstructured offer physical exercise training and/or singing along with the project.
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: Patients who display persistent symptoms 6-18 months (+/- one month) after surgical resection of localised lung cancer with video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS) will be invited to participate in the study. Inclusion criteria for the study include: 1. Persistent symptoms, i.e., an EORTC-QLQ-C30 symptom domain score (in any item) of ≥2 (="clinically relevant symptom or problem that should have healthcare professional attention"), 2. Surgery for stage I lung cancer 6-18 months (+/- one month) earlier, 3. Motivated for participating in the project (and acceptance of randomisation procedure), 4. Access to a computer or a tablet with internet access, 5. Ability to speak and understand Danish, 6. Acceptance of the scheduled times of the singing intervention twice a week. Exclusion Criteria: Exclusion criteria include: 1. Unstable coronary diseases, 2. Severe cognitive disabilities (e.g., dementia), 3. Indication for adjuvant chemotherapy or other antineoplastic therapy, 4. Signs of lung cancer recurrence at regular follow-up CT scan. No previous singing experience or musical competence is required. Participants will be informed that they are allowed to participate in additional offer of structured or unstructured offer physical exercise training and/or singing along with the project.
References
Publications (55)
- BACKGROUNDBohannon RW, Crouch R. Minimal clinically important difference for change in 6-minute walk test distance of adults with pathology: a systematic review. J Eval Clin Pract. 2017 Apr;23(2):377-381. doi: 10.1111/jep.12629. Epub 2016 Sep 4. PMID 27592691
- BACKGROUNDGranger CL, Holland AE, Gordon IR, Denehy L. Minimal important difference of the 6-minute walk distance in lung cancer. Chron Respir Dis. 2015 May;12(2):146-54. doi: 10.1177/1479972315575715. Epub 2015 Mar 6. PMID 25749346
- BACKGROUNDHolland AE, Nici L. The return of the minimum clinically important difference for 6-minute-walk distance in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2013 Feb 15;187(4):335-6. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201212-2191ED. No abstract available. PMID 23418323
- BACKGROUNDHan B, Chen Z, Ruan B, Chen Y, Lv Y, Li C, Yu L. Effects of Inspiratory Muscle Training in People with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Life (Basel). 2024 Nov 12;14(11):1470. doi: 10.3390/life14111470. PMID 39598268
- BACKGROUNDDel Corral T, Fabero-Garrido R, Plaza-Manzano G, Fernandez-de-Las-Penas C, Navarro-Santana MJ, Lopez-de-Uralde-Villanueva I. Minimal Clinically Important Differences in Inspiratory Muscle Function Variables after a Respiratory Muscle Training Programme in Individuals with Long-Term Post-COVID-19 Symptoms. J Clin Med. 2023 Apr 5;12(7):2720. doi: 10.3390/jcm12072720. PMID 37048804
- BACKGROUNDGosselink R, De Vos J, van den Heuvel SP, Segers J, Decramer M, Kwakkel G. Impact of inspiratory muscle training in patients with COPD: what is the evidence? Eur Respir J. 2011 Feb;37(2):416-25. doi: 10.1183/09031936.00031810. PMID 21282809
- BACKGROUNDDonohue JF. Minimal clinically important differences in COPD lung function. COPD. 2005 Mar;2(1):111-24. doi: 10.1081/copd-200053377.