WCLC 2025 - Posters & ePosters-PT2.15.01 A Randomized Controlled Trial on the Effect of Oncologist’s Recommendations on Exercise, Sedentary, and Quality of Life in Patients With NSCLC

PT2.15.01 A Randomized Controlled Trial on the Effect of Oncologist’s Recommendations on Exercise, Sedentary, and Quality of Life in Patients With NSCLC

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This randomized controlled trial investigated whether oncologists' exercise recommendations could increase physical activity, reduce sedentary behavior, and improve quality of life (QoL) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although physical activity is known to improve survival and reduce treatment side effects in lung cancer, approximately 70% of patients remain insufficiently active. Since oncologists are trusted advisors, the study tested the effects of verbal exercise advice alone (Exercise Recommendation group, EX-G), and verbal advice plus a dedicated exercise guidebook (EX-GG), compared to usual care (Control group, CG).<br /><br />A total of 91 patients with stage I-IV lung cancer and good performance status were randomized; 84 completed the 8-week study. At baseline, participants were mostly older adults (median age 67), with 86% having NSCLC and 70% at stage IV. Exercise activity was assessed via the Godin-Shepard questionnaire, sedentary behavior via the Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire, and QoL via the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire.<br /><br />Results showed that oncologist recommendations significantly increased total exercise time from baseline to 8 weeks compared to control, with the EX-G group showing a mean increase of 270 minutes/week (p<0.05). The EX-GG group also showed increased moderate-intensity exercise, supporting the added value of guidebook materials. No significant changes were observed in sedentary behavior across groups. Quality of life improved, particularly in cognitive and social functioning in the EX-GG group at 4 weeks, and reduced constipation at 8 weeks compared to controls.<br /><br />In conclusion, brief oncologist-led exercise counseling can effectively promote physical activity in lung cancer patients, and supplementing verbal advice with guidebooks further enhances moderate-intensity exercise participation and some QoL aspects. The study recommends integrating such interventions into routine oncology care and suggests future research should target sedentary time reduction and longer follow-up to capture QoL benefits.

Asset Subtitle

Alice Avancini

Meta Tag

Speaker Alice Avancini

Topic Multidisciplinary Care: Nursing, Allied Health and Palliative Care

Keywords

randomized controlled trial

oncologist exercise recommendations

non-small cell lung cancer

physical activity increase

sedentary behavior

quality of life improvement

exercise guidebook

lung cancer patients

moderate-intensity exercise

EORTC QLQ-C30