Clinical trial · Interventional
The Effect of Pulmonary Rehabilitation on Pulmonary Function Tests, Exercise Capacity, and Quality of Life in Patients With Advanced-Stage Lung Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy
The Effect of Pulmonary Rehabilitation on Pulmonary Function Tests, Exercise Capacity, and Quality of Life in Patients With Advanced-Stage Lung Cancer (Stage IIIB/IV) Receiving Chemotherapy: A Prospective Randomised Controlled Trial
- 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)
This randomised controlled trial investigated the effects of an 8-week physiotherapist-supervised pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programme on pulmonary function tests (PFT), exercise capacity, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with advanced-stage lung cancer (Stage IIIB/IV) receiving chemotherapy. Thirty patients were randomised to a PR group (n=15) or a home-programme control group (n=15). The PR group underwent twice-daily supervised sessions comprising postural drainage with breathing exercises, bronchial clearance techniques, active cycle of breathing technique (ACBT), effective coughing manoeuvres, and strengthening exercises - plus home aerobic walking 20 min/day. The control group performed home-based breathing and coughing exercises twice daily. Results: The PR group showed significant improvements in 6MWT (+85.8 m; p=0.001), FVC, FEV1, PEF (all p=0.001), and all 8 LCSS symptom domains (p=0.001). The control group showed significant declines in FEV1, PEF, 6MWT, and worsening quality of life. Between-group differences were significant for all primary outcomes (p≤0.001).
Conditions
Conditions (3)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Malignant Neoplasm | ALIAS | 0.90 |
| Lung Cancer Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) | Lung Small Cell Carcinoma | ALIAS | 0.85 |
| Lung Neoplasms | Lung Neoplasm | ONTOLOGY_EXACT | 0.98 |
Interventions
Interventions (2)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home-Based Breathing Exercises | Behavioral | — | UNRESOLVED |
| Supervised Pulmonary Rehabilitation | Behavioral | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (2)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Treatment Group (Pulmonary Rehabilitation Group)
- description
- Physiotherapist-supervised pulmonary rehabilitation programme for 8 weeks, twice daily. Components: postural drainage with 20-rep breathing exercises, bronchial clearance techniques (percussion/vibration/shaking), ACBT, effective coughing/huffing, progressive strengthening exercises. Home programme: same exercises 2×/day + aerobic walking 20 min/day.
- interventionNames
- Behavioral: Supervised Pulmonary Rehabilitation
- type
- ACTIVE_COMPARATOR
- label
- Control Arm (Home Exercise Program Group)
- description
- Unsupervised home-based programme of diaphragmatic breathing exercises and effective coughing techniques, twice daily for 8 weeks. No supervised sessions. No aerobic walking.
- interventionNames
- Behavioral: Home-Based Breathing Exercises
Primary outcomes (4)
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: Histologically confirmed lung cancer (any histological subtype), Stage IIIB or Stage IV Receiving or scheduled to receive chemotherapy (≤3 cycles completed at enrolment) Age ≥ 18 years ECOG Performance Status 0, 1, or 2 MMSE score ≥ 24/30 (adequate cognitive function) Written informed consent provided Exclusion Criteria: Lung cancer Stage I or II (operable disease) Any complication contraindicating pulmonary rehabilitation (including pathological bone fracture, open wound, unstable cardiac disease, active uncontrolled infection) Inability or refusal to provide written informed consent
References
Publications (0)
Data not yet available