One study suggests that exercise benefits patients treated with chemotherapy for lung cancer that cannot be operated.
A pilot study suggests that exercising benefits some patients treated with chemotherapy for lung cancer that cannot be operated.
Dr. Morten Quist, who led the study, felt that doctors should prescribe exercise.
“It is very important to tell them that it is a way to get more energy and to be able to do more daily activities. It is a great physical and mental improvement, ”Quist told Reuters Health.
According to the journal Lung Cance r, the Quist team at the University Hospital of Copenhagen brought together 25 patients with stage III-IV non-small cell cancer and four patients with advanced small cell lung cancer.
The authors proposed to the participants to carry out a six-week physical program with strength exercises and cardiovascular training.
Patients with brain or bone metastases, symptomatic heart disease in the last three months, prolonged bone marrow suppression, or under anticoagulant therapy were excluded.
Participants attended supervised sessions of 90 minutes of activity on Tuesdays and Thursdays, followed by 30 minutes of relaxation exercises. In addition, they had to walk 30 minutes and do half an hour of relaxation exercises at home on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
At six weeks, the team evaluated 23 patients. The average aerobic capacity had increased from 1.48 to 1.57 L / min, while the distance traveled in 6 minutes went from 525 to 564 meters. Patients had more strength in the six muscle groups evaluated.
Emotional well-being, according to the FACT-L index, increased significantly, although not at all points assessed. The adherence rate to supervised training was 73 percent, while only two patients (8.7 percent) performed the exercises at home.
“They didn’t feel energized to do them. In these cases, supervised training is best, ”Quist explained.
Given the poor prognosis of patients with advanced lung cancer, the author noted that many doctors do not even consider recommending exercise.
“But despite the low chances of survival, we show that we want to invest time in them and that it doesn’t matter if they are receiving palliative care or treatment . Being active makes sense because you can be better despite a bad prognosis. The mental is very important, ”added the researcher.