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Observational Study
. 2018 Mar;17(1):73-79.
doi: 10.1177/1534735416684016. Epub 2016 Dec 27.

Assessing the Correlation Between Physical Activity and Quality of Life in Advanced Lung Cancer

Brett C Bade  1 , Mary C Brooks  1 , Sloan B Nietert  2 , Ansley Ulmer  2 , D David Thomas  1 , Paul J Nietert  1 , JoAnn B Scott  1 , Gerard A Silvestri  1
Affiliations
Observational Study

Assessing the Correlation Between Physical Activity and Quality of Life in Advanced Lung Cancer

Brett C Bade et al. Integr Cancer Ther. 2018 Mar.

Abstract

Background and objective: Increasing physical activity (PA) is safe and beneficial in lung cancer (LC) patients. Advanced-stage LC patients are under-studied and have worse symptoms and quality of life (QoL). We evaluated the feasibility of monitoring step count in advanced LC as well as potential correlations between PA and QoL.

Methods: This is a prospective, observational study of 39 consecutive patients with advanced-stage LC. Daily step count over 1 week (via Fitbit Zip), QoL, dyspnea, and depression scores were collected. Spearman rank testing was used to assess correlations. Correlation coefficients (ρ) >0.3 or <-0.3 (more and less correlated, respectively) were considered potentially clinically significant.

Results: Most (83%) of the patients were interested in participating, and 67% of those enrolled were adherent with the device. Of those using the device (n = 30), the average daily step count was 4877 (range = 504-12 118) steps/d. Higher average daily step count correlated with higher QoL (ρ = 0.46), physical (ρ = 0.61), role (ρ = 0.48), and emotional functioning (ρ = 0.40) scores as well as lower depression (ρ = -0.40), dyspnea (ρ = -0.54), and pain (ρ = -0.37) scores.

Conclusion: Remote PA monitoring (Fitbit Zip) is feasible in advanced-stage LC patients. Interest in participating in this PA study was high with comparable adherence to other PA studies. In those utilizing the device, higher step count correlates with higher QoL as well as lower dyspnea, pain, and depression scores. PA monitoring with wearable devices in advanced-stage LC deserves further study.

Keywords: exercise; non–small-cell lung cancer; physical activity; quality of life; small-cell lung cancer.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Inclusion flowchart.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
A. European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer, Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ) 30 versus average daily step count. B. Modified Medical Research Council (MMRC) Dyspnea score versus average daily step count.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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