Feasibility of Rehabilitation during Chemoradiotherapy among Patients with Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Proof-of-Concept Study

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Currently, patients with a poor physical status undergoing chemoradiotherapy (CHRT) for stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are at high risk for poor treatment tolerance and poor survival. Rehabilitation during CHRT might prevent an often-observed reduction in physical fitness and deterioration in nutritional status. In this proof-of-concept study, we investigated whether a multimodal program for rehabilitation during CHRT, constructed in collaboration with patients and healthcare professionals, was feasible with respect to program adherence during CHRT, patient motivation, patient preferences and experiences, dropout rate, adverse events, and logistic planning. Results demonstrate that supervised and personalized rehabilitation in patients with stage III NSCLC undergoing CHRT seems feasible when the intensity of the physical exercise training program and nutritional advice are adjusted to the possibilities and preferences of the patients. It is recommended to design a supervised and personalized rehabilitation program with a low-to-moderate training intensity and a longer training session duration. ABSTRACT: Rehabilitation during chemoradiotherapy (CHRT) might (partly) prevent reduction in physical fitness and nutritional status and could improve treatment tolerance in patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of this proof-of-concept study was to investigate the feasibility of a multimodal program for rehabilitation during CHRT. A home-based multimodal rehabilitation program (partly supervised moderate-intensity physical exercise training and nutritional support) during CHRT was developed in collaboration with patients with stage III NSCLC and specialized healthcare professionals. A predetermined number of six patients with stage III NSCLC (aged > 50 years) who underwent CHRT and participated in this program were monitored in detail to assess its feasibility for further development and optimization of the program. The patient’s level of physical functioning (e.g., cardiopulmonary exercise test, six-minute walking test, handgrip strength, body mass index, fat free mass index, energy and protein intake) was evaluated in order to provide personalized advice regarding physical exercise training and nutrition. The program appeared feasible and well-tolerated. All six included patients managed to perform the assessments. Exercise session adherence was high in five patients and low in one patient. The performed exercise intensity was lower than prescribed for all patients. Patients were motivated to complete the home-based rehabilitation program during CHRT. Preliminary effects on physical and nutritional parameters revealed relatively stable values throughout CHRT, with inter-individual variation. Supervised and personalized rehabilitation in patients with stage III NSCLC undergoing CHRT seems feasible when the intensity of the physical exercise training was adjusted to the possibilities and preferences of the patients. Future research should investigate the feasibility of a supervised and personalized rehabilitation program during CHRT with a low-to-moderate exercise intensity with the aim to prevent physical decline during CHRT.