Respiratory Muscle Training Before Lung Cancer Surgery

This study is looking at whether respiratory muscle training (RMT) before surgery can help prevent lung problems after surgery for people with stage I-IIIB lung cancer. Patients with lung cancer who have surgery sometimes experience complications like pneumonia or difficulty breathing. This study wants to see if using a special device for RMT, called a Power Lung device, can make your breathing muscles stronger before surgery. This might help you recover better and improve your quality of life after surgery. The study will measure changes in your breathing muscle strength, lung function, and how well you can exercise over 12 months. You may be able to join if you have stage I-IIIB lung cancer and are having surgery for it, and can speak and read English.

Study design
This study involves 220 participants and compares two groups: one receiving usual care and another receiving respiratory muscle training. Participants are randomly assigned to one of these groups.
What's involved
Participants will either receive usual care or use a Power Lung device for respiratory muscle training before surgery. All participants will undergo surgery and track activity with a Fitbit for 3 months post-surgery.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
The study will follow participants for up to 12 months after they begin the study to measure changes in muscle strength, lung function, and exercise capacity.

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NCT04067830

Respiratory Muscle Training Before Surgery in Preventing Lung Complications in Patients With Stage I-IIIB Lung Cancer

Recruiting
PHASE2Ages 18+InterventionalPrevention
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
~220 participants
Updated 2026-05-18 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Best PracticeLaparoscopic SurgeryQuality-of-Life AssessmentQuestionnaire AdministrationRespiratory Muscle Training DeviceVideo-Assisted Thoracic Surgery

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Change in inspiratory and expiratory muscle strength
Measured over Baseline up to 12 months
+2 more outcomes measured
Stage I Lung Cancer AJCC v8
Stage IA1 Lung Cancer AJCC v8
Stage IA2 Lung Cancer AJCC v8
Stage IA3 Lung Cancer AJCC v8
Stage IB Lung Cancer AJCC v8
Stage II Lung Cancer AJCC v8
Stage IIA Lung Cancer AJCC v8
Stage IIB Lung Cancer AJCC v8
Stage IIIA Lung Cancer AJCC v8
Stage IIIB Lung Cancer AJCC v8
1 sites across 1 states
New York1
  • Ellis Levine, MD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Roswell Park Cancer Institute

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Documented stage I-IIIb lung cancer or is undergoing surgery for diagnosis
Participant is able to speak, read, and comprehend English
Participant must be undergoing or is anticipated to either video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS or robotic surgery) or laparoscopic surgery for curative intent lung resection
Patients with or without neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) prior to surgery will be included
Ability to follow written and verbal instructions
Participant must understand the investigational nature of this study and sign an Independent Ethics Committee/Institutional Review Board approved written informed consent form prior to receiving any study related procedure

Exclusion

Documented ischemic heart disease; congestive heart failure or; significant cardiac arrhythmias that would exclude them from having surgery
Overall medical frailty (clinician discretion) or ECOG \> 2
Pregnant or nursing female participants
Unwilling or unable to follow protocol requirements
Any condition which in the investigator's opinion deems the participant an unsuitable candidate to participate in this study
  • Change in inspiratory and expiratory muscle strengthBaseline up to 12 months

    Will be treated as a continuous variable and will be summarized by treatment group and time-point using the mean, median, standard deviation, and the appropriate percentiles. The effectiveness of the respiratory muscle training (RMT) program on each respiratory outcome will be assessed by comparing the preoperative change between groups using an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) model, with an adjustment for the pretreatment levels. For each outcome, the preoperative change (T1-T0) will be modeled as a function of treatment group (RMT versus usual care) and pre-treatment levels. A one-sided Wald type-test about coefficient for treatment group will evaluate whether the RMT program had a beneficial impact on the given respiratory outcome. All model assumptions will be verified graphically using quantile-quantile and residual plots. Transformations will be applied as appropriate.

  • Change in pulmonary function and respiratory muscle enduranceBaseline up to 12 months

    Will be treated as a continuous variable and will be summarized by treatment group and time-point using the mean, median, standard deviation, and the appropriate percentiles. The effectiveness of the RMT program on each respiratory outcome will be assessed by comparing the preoperative change between groups using an ANCOVA model, with an adjustment for the pretreatment levels. For each outcome, the preoperative change (T1-T0) will be modeled as a function of treatment group (RMT versus usual care) and pre-treatment levels. A one-sided Wald type-test about coefficient for treatment group will evaluate whether the RMT program had a beneficial impact on the given respiratory outcome. All model assumptions will be verified graphically using quantile-quantile and residual plots. Transformations will be applied as appropriate.

  • Change in peak exercise capacity (VO2peak)Baseline up to 12 months

    Will be treated as a continuous variable and will be summarized by treatment group and time-point using the mean, median, standard deviation, and the appropriate percentiles. The effectiveness of the RMT program on each respiratory outcome will be assessed by comparing the preoperative change between groups using an ANCOVA model, with an adjustment for the pretreatment levels. For each outcome, the preoperative change (T1-T0) will be modeled as a function of treatment group (RMT versus usual care) and pre-treatment levels. A one-sided Wald type-test about coefficient for treatment group will evaluate whether the RMT program had a beneficial impact on the given respiratory outcome. All model assumptions will be verified graphically using quantile-quantile and residual plots. Transformations will be applied as appropriate.