Characteristics of the study population before and after surgery
| Variables | Training (N=30) | Control (N=31) |
|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 64.4±9.3 | 65.9±8.5 |
| Female sex, n (%) | 17 (57) | 16 (52) |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 25.4±5.1 | 25.1±5.2 |
| University degree or more, n | 3 | 9 |
| Smoking history (pack-years) | 25.5 (0–87.5) | 20.0 (0–50.0) |
| Presence of COPD, n (%) | 10 (33) | 8 (26) |
| Thoracoscore | 1.64±1.26 | 2.19±1.83 |
| Pneumonectomy, n (%) | 4 (13) | 6 (19) |
| Quality of life before surgery | ||
| SF-36 score: Physical-component* | 48.3±9.0 | 48.3±11.9 |
| SF-36 score: Mental component* | 46.4±11.1 | 45.4±12.1 |
| EORTC QOL-C30: dyspnoea score† | 33.3 (0–100) | 33.3 (0–100) |
| Mean pulmonary function and cardiorespiratory fitness before surgery‡ | ||
| FEV1, % of predicted value | 88.6±20.7 | 91.7±23.5 |
| FVC, % of predicted value | 115.1±20.9 | 111.6±22.9 |
| Tlco, % of predicted value | 81.4±18.1 | 83.9±24.2 |
| Peak oxygen uptake, mL/kg/min | 24.1±6.5 | 23.6±5.6 |
| Peak oxygen uptake, % of predicted value | 80.6±17.2 | 79.2±16.8 |
| Histological features at surgery | ||
| Adenocarcinoma, n (%) | 14 (47) | 16 (52) |
| Squamous cell carcinoma, n (%) | 11 (37) | 10 (33) |
| Large cell carcinoma, n (%) | 1 (3) | 0 (0) |
| Other, n (%) | 4 (13) | 5 (15) |
| TNM stage[L2] | ||
| Stage I, n (%) | 18 (60) | 15 (48) |
| Stage II, n (%) | 7 (23) | 12 (39) |
| Stage III, n (%) | 5 (17) | 5 (7) |
| Stage IV, n (%) | 0 | 1 (3) |
| Additional treatment after surgery | ||
| Chemotherapy, n (%) | 9 (30) | 9 (29) |
| Radiotherapy, n (%) | 3 (10) | 4 (13) |
Data are presented as mean±SD, median (range) or n (%).
*Higher scores indicate better functioning (scaled from 0–100).
†Lower scores indicate less dyspnoea (scaled from 0–100).
‡Pulmonary function was calculated from equations from the European Community for Steel and Coal23 and peak oxygen uptake from the equations of Edvardsen and coworkers.24
COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease defined as FEV1/FVC <70% and FEV1 <80% of predicted; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1 s; FVC, forced vital capacity; MVV, maximal voluntary ventilation; Thoracoscore, the Thoracic Surgery Scoring System, which is a risk model for in-hospital events; Tlco, carbon monoxide transfer factor.