Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death among both men and women in theUnited States. Individuals with early-stage lung cancer have markedly reduced exercise capacity causedby multiple mechanisms (e.g., disease pathophysiology, treatment, deconditioning, etc.). This is of criticalimportance since poor exercise capacity is associated with higher disease-related symptoms, poorhealth-related quality of life (HRQOL), increased susceptibility to common age-related diseases andlikely, premature death. Despite its importance, effective interventions to improve exercise capacityamong lung cancer patients are not available. Results from two uncontrolled pilot studies from our group have provided 'proof of principle' thataerobic training is a safe and feasible intervention associated with modest improvements in exercisecapacity and HRQOL among early-stage lung cancer patients. The following two questions are nowgermane: (1) what is the most effective type of exercise training to improve exercise capacity; and (2)what are the mechanisms underlying this improvement? We propose a prospective, four-arm,randomized trial to compare the effects of three different exercise programs relative to a sedentarycontrol group among 150 early-stage lung cancer patients who have completed cancer therapy. Thisgrant will have the following primary and secondary aims: Primary aim: determine the effects of aerobictraining and resistance training, relative to attention-control, on exercise capacity. Secondary aims: (1) todetermine the effects on patient-reported outcomes, (2) to examine the physiological mediators of theexercise training - VO2peak relationship, (3) to examine the psychological mediators of the intervention -patient-reported outcomes relationship. This study will address several fundamental but, currently unanswered questions regarding therole of exercise training in the management of lung cancer. Information gained from this clinical trial willinform the design in future-planned studies further investigating the role of exercise training across thelung cancer survivorship continuum. Finally, the mechanistic findings will provide insight into how torefine exercise training interventions to maximize improvements in exercise capacity and associatedoutcomes in this underserved population.
Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death among both men and women in the UnitedStates. Individuals with early-stage lung cancer have markedly reduced exercise capacity caused by multiplemechanisms (e.g.; disease pathophysiology; treatment; deconditioning; etc.). This is of critical importancesince poor exercise capacity is associated with higher disease-related symptoms; poor health-related quality oflife (HRQOL); increased susceptibility to common age-related diseases and likely; premature death. Despite itsimportance; effective interventions to improve exercise capacity among lung cancer patients are not available.
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