BACKGROUND

To explore the safety and effectiveness of personalized exercise intervention during chemotherapy for lung cancer patients who were relatively weak and with compromised cardiopulmonary function.

METHODS

Thirty-eight lung cancer patients treated with chemotherapy at Peking University Third Hospital were enrolled in this prospective study. The exercise group (N = 21) received individualized exercise guidance based on personal test results and exercised regularly, while the control group (N = 17) only received exercise education and planed exercise methods according to their own preferences. Both groups underwent three fitness tests and clinical indicator assessments at 0, 6, and 12 weeks after starting the exercise, and the differences in trends of various indicators between the two groups were compared.

RESULTS

No exercise-related adverse events occurred during the 12-week exercise period. After 12 weeks of exercise training, in terms of fitness, the exercise group showed significant improvements in 6-min walk test (6MWT) (p < 0.001), peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) (p = 0.005), muscle content (p < 0.001), muscle percentage (p < 0.001), and grip strength (p = 0.008) compared to the control group. In terms of clinical indicators, the exercise group showed significant improvements in vital capacity (p = 0.018), D-dimer (p = 0.031), and C-reactive protein (CRP) (p = 0.01), uric acid (p = 0.003), triglycerides (p < 0.001), functional average score (p < 0.001), and main symptom average score (p = 0.004) compared to the control group in trends over time.

CONCLUSION

Rehabilitation exercises using individualized exercise prescriptions tailored by exercise prescription specialists during chemotherapy are safe for lung cancer patients. Adhering to exercise can achieve comprehensive improvements in physical fitness and quality of life at 12 weeks.