Effects of pulmonary rehabilitation in people with lung cancer after lung resection: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE: This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the effectiveness of pulmonary rehabilitation in improving physical and psychological outcomes after lung resection. METHODS: A literature search was conducted across five electronic databases, identifying randomized controlled trials evaluating pulmonary rehabilitation in lung cancer patients after lung resection. Screening, data extraction, and quality assessment were conducted independently by two reviewers. The revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials was used to evaluate the quality of included studies. Data synthesis was performed using RevMan Web, with results visualized in forest plots. RESULTS: Eighteen studies (n = 1795) were included; only three were rated as having low risk of bias. The meta-analysis revealed that pulmonary rehabilitation, including exercise and breathing training, significantly improved lung function, such as the forced vital capacity, physical capacity, 6-min walking distance, and the physical domain of quality of life in post-surgery lung cancer patients compared to controls. Subgroup analysis indicated that interventions lasting 12 weeks or longer were associated with greater improvements. Egger's test suggested no significant publication bias. CONCLUSIONS: The findings demonstrate the positive effects of pulmonary rehabilitation, including exercise and breathing training, on postoperative recovery in lung cancer patients. Significant improvements were observed in lung function, exercise capacity, and quality of life. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Our systematic review underscores pulmonary rehabilitation as an effective intervention to improve physical function and quality of life in lung cancer patients following lung resection. It supports broader adoption to enhance postoperative recovery and long-term health in these patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO (reference: CRD42024616958).