2024 Asia Conference on Lung Cancer (ACLC) - Poster & ePosters-PP02.23

PP02.23 - Jiaqi Gu

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The study conducted by researchers from Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital and the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University focused on addressing radiation-induced cardiopulmonary injury in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients undergoing radiotherapy. Radiotherapy inadvertently exposes the heart and lung tissues to radiation, potentially harming cardiopulmonary function. Current rehabilitation methods for such injuries often address the heart and lungs separately, which does not reflect the interconnected nature of these organs in patient health.<br /><br />This study aimed to develop a comprehensive cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program to mitigate injuries caused by radiotherapy. It involved 82 patients with stage I-III NSCLC who were randomly divided into trial and control groups. Both groups underwent a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessments before starting treatment. The trial group received an integrated exercise prescription, including aerobic exercises like walking and Baduanjin—a traditional Chinese exercise—alongside resistance training. Meanwhile, the control group followed a fixed routine exercise prescription throughout their radiotherapy, which involved a total dose of 60-66Gy.<br /><br />The study measured the intervention's effectiveness by evaluating changes in VO2max (a gold standard for cardiopulmonary endurance) and HRQoL scores before and after radiotherapy, at intervals of 3-6 months. Results showed that participants in the trial group exhibited a significant improvement in both VO2max and HRQoL scores compared to the control group, indicating that the integrated cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program effectively reduces radiation-induced injuries and enhances patients' quality of life. This suggests such integrated exercise prescriptions could be valuable in dealing with cardiopulmonary injuries in similar clinical settings.

Keywords

radiation-induced injury

non-small cell lung cancer

cardiopulmonary rehabilitation

radiotherapy

VO2max

health-related quality of life

aerobic exercise

Baduanjin

resistance training

integrated exercise prescription