Background Fatigue remains a prevalent and debilitating symptom in persons with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Exercise has been shown to be effective in reducing fatigue; yet interventions are limited for post-surgical NSCLC patients. To date, while surgery is offered as a standard curative treatment for NSCLC, no formal guidelines exist for post-surgical rehabilitation. Objective This study focuses on the design and testing of a post-surgical intervention for NSCLC patients to promote perceived self-efficacy for fatigue self-management targeting cancer-related fatigue (CRF) severity and its associated fatigability through exercise. Interventions/ Methods A two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) was used to examine the impact of a 6-week rehabilitative CRF self-management exercise intervention on 37 NSCLC participants compared with 35 control group participants receiving usual care from diagnosis to 6 weeks post-surgical hospital discharge. Results We exceeded goals for recruitment (66%), retention (97%), adherence (93%), and acceptability. Our 6-week exercise intervention demonstrated preliminary efficacy in significantly reducing CRF severity and fatigability as compared to usual care, with mean CRF levels restored to levels lower than pre-surgery. Likewise, the exercise group's functional performance (physical and mental health scores) exceeded usual care. Further, no adverse events were reported; participants had a mean age of 67 and a mean of 8 comorbid conditions. Conclusions An exercise intervention for post-surgical NSCLC patients is feasible, safe, and highly acceptable showing positive changes in CRF self-management. Implications for Practice To advance practice, testing of the effectiveness of this health-promoting self-management exercise intervention in a larger-scale RCT.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.