Pulmonary Rehabilitation for Advanced Lung Cancer Survivors

This study is for people who have been diagnosed with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (stages III or IV) and experience shortness of breath. Many lung cancer survivors feel tired and have trouble breathing, which can affect their quality of life. This study is testing if pulmonary rehabilitation (PR), a supportive treatment that includes exercise and education, can help improve these symptoms. You would either receive 8 weeks of PR, given by certified respiratory therapists, or receive standard information about nutrition and physical activity. Researchers will measure changes in your walking ability, how short of breath you feel, and your overall quality of life after 8 weeks. The study aims to enroll 85 participants.

Study design
This is an interventional study where participants are randomly assigned to either receive pulmonary rehabilitation or standard care. It plans to enroll 85 participants.
What's involved
If you join, you would either attend two pulmonary rehabilitation sessions per week for 8 weeks or receive educational materials. Your functional capacity, breathing, and quality of life will be measured at the beginning and after 8 weeks.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Your progress will be measured at the beginning of the study and again after 8 weeks.

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NCT07104630

Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Advanced Lung Cancer Survivors

Recruiting
PHASE2Ages 18+InterventionalSupportive care
Case Comprehensive Cancer Center
~85 participants
Updated 2026-04-13 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR)No intervention: Usual care

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 functional capacity of LCS with advanced NSCLC, as measured by the 6-minute walk test (6MWT)
Measured over Baseline, 8 weeks
+4 more outcomes measured
Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Stage III
Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Stage IV
Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
Lung Cancer
1 sites across 1 states
Ohio1
  • Melinda Hsu, MD, MS · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, University Hospitals

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Participants must have histologically confirmed NSCLC, Stages III or IV treated with palliative intent
Adults ≥ 18 years of age
ECOG performance status ≤ 3
Clinical stability: defined as no clinical/radiographic progression within the last three months
Self-reported dyspnea, defined as score ≥ 2 on the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) Dyspnea Scale
Participants must be fluent in written and spoken English

Exclusion

Participants being treated with curative intent for locally advanced NSCLC or oligometastatic NSCLC with concurrent chemotherapy and radiation will be excluded
Participants have evidence of clinical and/or radiographic progression
Mental impairment leading to inability to complete study requirements
High risk of fracture or spine instability (Mirels score ≥7 or SINS ≥7)
Class II, III or IV heart failure as defined by the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification system
History of acute coronary syndromes (including myocardial infarction and unstable angina), coronary angioplasty or stenting within the past 6 months prior to the start of radiation therapy
Uncontrolled arrhythmias; individuals with rate-controlled atrial fibrillation for \> 1 month prior to start of radiation therapy may be eligible
Syncope
Acute myocarditis, pericarditis, or endocarditis
Acute pulmonary embolus or pulmonary infarction within the last 3 months
Acute thrombosis of lower extremities within the last 3 months
Suspected dissecting aneurysm
Pulmonary edema
Respiratory failure
Acute non-cardiopulmonary disorder that may affect exercise performance or be aggravated by exercise
  • Change in functional capacity of LCS with advanced NSCLC, as measured by the 6-minute walk test (6MWT)Baseline, 8 weeks

    The 6MWT measures the distance (in meters) that a person can walk in 6 minutes, with higher values indicating greater functional capacity

  • Change in self-reported dyspnea and quality of life (QoL) in LCS with advanced NSCLC, as measured by the modified Borg scale (MBS)Baseline, 8 weeks

    The MBS is a 1-question scale that is asked after the 6MWT, where participants rank their dyspnea (difficulty breathing) on a scale of 1-10, with greater values indicating greater difficulty.

  • Change in self-reported dyspnea and quality of life (QoL) in LCS with advanced NSCLC, as measured by the EORTC QLQ-C30Baseline, 8 weeks

    The EORTC QLQ-C30 is a 30-question questionnaire that captures functional, symptom, global health status, and QoL domains. Questions are answered on a Likert scale with four choices ranging from "Not at all" to "Very much." Greater scores indicate lower quality of life.

  • Change in self-reported dyspnea and quality of life (QoL) in LCS with advanced NSCLC, as measured by the EORTC QLQ-LC29Baseline, 8 weeks

    The EORTC QLQ-LC29 is a 29-question questionnaire that captures lung cancer-related symptoms and treatment side effects. Questions are answered on a Likert scale with four choices ranging from "Not at all" to "Very much." Greater scores indicate greater symptoms and side effects.

  • Change in quantity of cancer-related adverse events (AEs), as measured by the Patient-Reported Outcomes version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE).Baseline, 8 weeks