Patient-reported outcomes after surgical resection for non-small cell lung cancer and perceptions of postsurgical rehabilitation programmes

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BACKGROUND: Surgical resection is essential in the treatment of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), followed by rehabilitation with physical exercise training to improve physical capacity, quality of life (QoL) and symptom burden. In Denmark, rehabilitation is municipality-based and not disease-specific and without a maintenance model. We aimed to investigate QoL and symptoms 6-12 months after NSCLC surgery, hypothesising impaired QoL and symptom levels. Moreover, we explored rehabilitation attendance. METHODS: An observational, cross-sectional, survey-based study was conducted from March to June 2025 across two Danish regions in patients after surgery for stage I or II NSCLC and without adjuvant oncological treatment (preregistration: osf.io/vmpft). Each site contacted their own eligible patients via digital mail. Registry data from the Danish Lung Cancer Registry and electronic patient registries: socio-demographics, disease-specific characteristics and surgical procedure. Survey data: QoL and symptoms burden (measure: The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30; Reporting: Raw and transformed scores and dichotomised according to defined thresholds and cut-offs for clinical importance) and self-reported information about rehabilitation attendance. DATA ANALYSES: descriptive and stratified analyses. RESULTS: We identified 168 patients, 94 (56% of 168) were eligible and 67 (71% of 94) responded to the survey. No differences were found in baseline characteristics and overall mean time since surgery was 8.9±1.8 months. Current QoL and symptoms were clinically impaired (eg, physical functioning: 51%; dyspnoea: 70%). Around half (54%) reported having attended a rehabilitation programme and those having attended were more likely to have clinically impaired physical functioning and dyspnoea at present. CONCLUSIONS: QoL and symptoms were impaired 6-12 months after NSCLC surgery, and the current level did not seem to be related to having attended a postsurgical rehabilitation programme. Disease-specific challenges should be addressed in future rehabilitation and maintenance models.

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