Study of Pulmonary Rehabilitation to Improve Breathing and Quality of Life in Adults with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating pulmonary rehabilitation as a supportive treatment for people who have been diagnosed with advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer NSCLC. Many individuals with advanced NSCLC experience breathing difficulties and fatigue, which can reduce their quality of life. This study aims to understand whether pulmonary rehabilitation can improve functioning and reduce shortness of breath in these patients. It also explores challenges faced by patients and oncology care providers regarding pulmonary rehabilitation. The study has two parts. In the first part, participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups one group receives an eight-week pulmonary rehabilitation program with two sessions per week led by certified respiratory therapists, including exercise, education on physical function, nutrition, and psychosocial health the other group receives usual care, consisting of standard education on nutrition and physical activity for cancer survivors. The second part involves interviews with subsets of participants and medical care providers to identify barriers to pulmonary rehabilitation. Participants will attend study visits at the start and after eight weeks to measure changes in their functional capacity using a 6-minute walk test and report their breathing difficulties and quality of life through several validated scales. The study also tracks cancer-related adverse events reported by participants. Interviews will be conducted once between six and thirty months after enrollment to understand obstacles to pulmonary rehabilitation. The total participation duration varies with these assessments and follow-ups.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Advanced Lung Cancer Survivors