Effects of home-based exercise on exercise capacity, symptoms, and quality of life in patients with lung cancer: A meta-analysis

• Published in: European journal of oncology nursing : the official journal of European Oncology Nursing Society 2020-12, Vol.49, p.101836-101836, Article 101836
• Main Authors: Yang, Meng, Liu, Li, Gan, Chun-e, Qiu, Li-hong, Jiang, Xiao-juan, He, Xue-ting, Zhang, Jun-e
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; China; Exercise capacity; Exercise Therapy - psychology; Exercise Tolerance; Fatigue - psychology; Fatigue - therapy; Female; Home-based exercise; Humans; Lung cancer; Lung Neoplasms - psychology; Lung Neoplasms - therapy; Male; Meta-analysis; Middle Aged; Nursing; Quality of life; Quality of Life - psychology; Symptom
• ISSN: 1462-3889; 1532-2122
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejon.2020.101836

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of home-based exercise on exercise capacity, cancer-related fatigue, insomnia, pain, appetite loss, coughing, anxiety, depression, and quality of life of patients with lung cancer. We conducted a search using English and Chinese databases, namely PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, ProQuest, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Biomedical Literature (CBM), Wanfang Data, and China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP) up to December 4, 2018. We selected randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental trials that compared the effects of home-based exercise and routine guidance on exercise capacity, cancer-related fatigue, insomnia, pain, appetite loss, coughing, anxiety, depression, and quality of life of patients with lung cancer. The effect size was calculated using mean difference and 95% confidence interval, data were analyzed using the Stata version 12.0 software. We retrieved seven randomized controlled trials and seven quasi-experimental trials involving 694 patients in total. Home-based exercise significantly improved exercise capacity, reduced cancer-related fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, and depression, and improved quality of life (P < .05). However, it did not significantly reduce pain, appetite loss, and coughing symptoms (P > .05). Home-based exercise is a beneficial approach to improving exercise capacity, some symptoms, and quality of life of patients with lung cancer. Home-based exercise should be routinely recommended by health professionals when patients with lung cancer are discharged from hospital. •Home-based exercise significantly improves exercise capacity and quality of life of patients with lung cancer.•Home-based exercise can reduce lung cancer patients' cancer-related fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, depression.•Nurses should encourage lung cancer patients to engage in home-based exercise following their discharge from hospital.