2024 Latin America Conference on Lung Cancer (LALCA) - Posters-PP01.54: Experience of Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Patients With Oncological Diagnosis and Post-COVID Sequels

PP01.54: Experience of Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Patients With Oncological Diagnosis and Post-COVID Sequels

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The study examines the impact of a pulmonary rehabilitation program (PRP) on patients with cancer and long-COVID, a condition with persistent symptoms exacerbated by immune deregulation in cancer patients. While physical therapy has been beneficial, the effects of respiratory therapy were unexplored, prompting this research.<br /><br />Key findings include significant improvements in both physical performance and quality of life (QoL) of the patients post-PRP intervention. Specific improvements were observed in patients' physical abilities, as evidenced by a substantial increase in the distance covered in the six-minute walk test (6MWT) from an average of 347.95 meters to 415.18 meters, indicating enhanced physical stamina (p=0.013).<br /><br />Survival analysis revealed that patients undergoing PRP had better median overall survival (mOS), with differences being significant (HR of 0.475; 95% CI: 0.24-0.94, p=0.033), suggesting that PRP contributes to longer survival in oncology patients suffering from long-COVID.<br /><br />Additionally, the study highlights the reduction in oxygen dependency among participants. Prior to PRP, 24% of patients required oxygen; this reduced to 13% post-intervention (p=0.025).<br /><br />The research supports incorporating PRP into the multidisciplinary approach for treating cancer patients affected by long-COVID. Results suggest that PRP significantly enhances physical well-being and potentially prolongs life expectancy, making it a valuable component of therapy for oncology patients battling persistent COVID-19 symptoms.<br /><br />The study was conducted retrospectively between 2020 and 2022 at the National Cancer Institute of Mexico City, emphasizing the long-term benefits a structured pulmonary rehabilitation can have on this demographic.

Asset Subtitle

Coral Leonor Blé Magaña

Keywords

pulmonary rehabilitation program

cancer patients

long-COVID

immune deregulation

physical therapy

quality of life

six-minute walk test

median overall survival

oxygen dependency

National Cancer Institute