Abstract
Objective
To determine the effects of multimodal rehabilitation initiated immediately after
esophageal cancer surgery on physical recovery compared with conventional pulmonary
rehabilitation.
Design
Retrospective study.
Setting
Private quaternary care hospital.
Participants
Fifty-nine inpatients (N=59) who participated in either conventional pulmonary rehabilitation
(n=30) or in multimodal rehabilitation (n=29) after esophageal cancer surgery were
included.
Interventions
Both groups performed pulmonary exercises, including deep breathing, chest expansion,
inspiratory muscle training, coughing, and manual vibration. In the conventional pulmonary
rehabilitation group, light-intensity mat exercise, stretching, and walking were performed.
The multimodal rehabilitation group performed resistance exercises and moderate- to
high-intensity aerobic interval exercises using a bicycle.
Main Outcome Measures
The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Quality of Life
Questionnaire C30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), pain, 6-minute walk test (6MWT), 30-second chair
stand test, and grip strengths were assessed before and after the rehabilitation programs.
Results
Symptom scales of pain, dyspnea, and insomnia in the EORTC QLQ-C30 as well as 6MWT
improved significantly after each program (P<.05). 6MWT (73.1±52.6 vs 28.4±14.3, P<.001, d=1.15), 30-second chair stand test (3.5±3.9 vs 0.35±2.0, P<.001, d=1.06), and left grip strength (1.2±1.3 vs 0.0±1.5, P=.002, d=0.42) improved significantly in the multimodal rehabilitation group compared with
the pulmonary rehabilitation group. While right grip strength also showed more improvement
for those undergoing the multimodal program, the mean strength difference was not
clinically meaningful.
Conclusions
A multimodal inpatient rehabilitation program instituted early after esophageal cancer
surgery improved endurance for walking more than conventional pulmonary rehabilitation
as measured by the 6MWT and the 30-second chair stand test.
Keywords
List of abbreviations:
EORTC QLQ-C30 (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Quality of Life Questionnaire C30), NRS (numeric rating scale), QOL (quality of life), 6MWT (6-minute walk test)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: June 24, 2022
Accepted:
May 20,
2022
Received in revised form:
May 19,
2022
Received:
January 5,
2022
Publication stage
In Press Journal Pre-ProofFootnotes
Supported by the Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea (grant no. 2020-0596).
Disclosures: none.
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine
