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Thoracic Oncology and Surgery

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Textbook of Pulmonary Rehabilitation

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Abstract

Pulmonary rehabilitation is an important component in the management of lung cancer. It aims to minimise physical and psychological impairments which commonly occur in patients following a diagnosis of lung cancer. There are well-established clinical guidelines regarding exercise for patients with cancer. These recommend at least 150 min of moderate intensity physical activity and two to three resistance training sessions per week, and avoidance of sedentary time. The evidence for exercise specifically in lung cancer is growing rapidly. It shows that pulmonary rehabilitation is associated with improvements in exercise capacity, muscle strength and symptoms, especially when delivered after surgery. Pulmonary rehabilitation before surgery (prehabilitation) is also associated with reduced post-operative complications and hospital length of stay. Pulmonary rehabilitation during chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and for patients with advanced palliative disease appears to be effective at reducing symptoms and improving and/or maintaining exercise capacity and muscle strength. This chapter begins by providing an overview to the topic of thoracic oncology and specifically focuses on lung cancer. The chapter summarises the symptoms of lung cancer, medical treatment and side-effects, common impairments, and the evidence for physical activity and exercise training. It also outlines a number of specific considerations for delivery of pulmonary rehabilitation in the lung cancer setting including patient assessment, exercise prescription, safety, and timing of delivery across the cancer disease trajectory.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiotherapy, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

    Catherine L. Granger

  2. Department PCCP, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

    Gill Arbane

Authors
  1. Catherine L. Granger
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  2. Gill Arbane
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Catherine L. Granger .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Modena, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena Policlinico, Modena, Italy

    Enrico Clini

  2. Alfred Health and Institute for Breathing and Sleep, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia

    Anne E. Holland

  3. State University of Londrina, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil

    Fabio Pitta

  4. Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Respiratory Division and Rehabilitation, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Thierry Troosters

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Granger, C.L., Arbane, G. (2018). Thoracic Oncology and Surgery. In: Clini, E., Holland, A., Pitta, F., Troosters, T. (eds) Textbook of Pulmonary Rehabilitation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65888-9_24

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65888-9_24

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-65887-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-65888-9

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