Assessing the Correlation Between Physical Activity and Quality of Life in Advanced Lung Cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Physical Therapy
• Digital Health

Background:

• Physical activity (PA) is safe and beneficial for lung cancer (LC) patients.
• Advanced-stage LC patients often experience significant symptoms and reduced quality of life (QoL).
• This population remains under-studied regarding PA interventions and monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of monitoring daily step count in advanced-stage LC patients.
• To explore potential correlations between physical activity levels and QoL in this cohort.
• To assess patient interest and adherence to remote PA monitoring.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, observational study involving 39 advanced-stage LC patients.
• Daily step count was monitored for one week using Fitbit Zip devices.
• Quality of life (QoL), dyspnea, depression, and pain scores were collected and analyzed using Spearman rank testing.

Main Results:

• High patient interest (83%) and adherence (67%) were observed for PA monitoring.
• The average daily step count among participants was 4877 steps.
• Higher step counts significantly correlated with better QoL, physical and emotional functioning, and lower scores for depression, dyspnea, and pain.

Conclusions:

• Remote PA monitoring via wearable devices is feasible in advanced-stage LC.
• Increased physical activity, as indicated by step count, is associated with improved QoL and symptom burden.
• Further research into PA monitoring using wearable technology in advanced LC is warranted.