Exercise capacity and cancer-specific quality of life following curative intent treatment of stage I-IIIA lung cancer.

PURPOSE: Lung cancer survivors are at risk for health impairments resulting from the effects and/or treatment of lung cancer and comorbidities. Practical exercise capacity (EC) assessments can help identify impairments that would otherwise remain undetected. In this study, we characterized and analyzed the association between functional EC and cancer-specific quality of life (QoL) in lung cancer survivors who previously completed curative intent treatment.

METHODS: In a cross-sectional study of 62 lung cancer survivors who completed treatment ≥ 1 month previously, we assessed functional EC with the 6-min walk distance (6MWD) and cancer-specific QoL with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QoL Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC-QLQ-C30). Cancer-specific QoL was defined using a validated composite EORTC-QLQ-C30 summary score. Univariable (UVA) and multivariable linear regression analyses (MVA) were performed to assess the relationship between functional EC and cancer-specific QoL.

RESULTS: Lung cancer survivors had reduced functional EC (mean 6MWD = 335 m, 65% predicted) and QoL (mean EORTC-QLQ-C30 summary score = 77, scale range 0-100). In UVA, 6MWD was significantly associated with cancer-specific QoL (R2  = 0.16, p = 0.001). In MVA, in a final model that also included heart failure, obstructive sleep apnea, and psychiatric illness, 6MWD was independently associated with cancer-specific QoL (partial R2  = 0.20, p = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Functional EC was independently associated with cancer-specific QoL in lung cancer patients postcurative intent treatment. Exercise-based interventions aimed at improving EC may improve cancer-specific QoL in these patients.