Effects of qigong exercise on physical fitness and patient-reported health outcomes in lung cancer survivors

Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a three-month Guolin Qigong (GQ) intervention on physical fitness and patient-reported health outcomes among patients with lung cancer.

Methods This pilot study was a non-randomized controlled trial. Eligible participants who were over 18 years of age and diagnosed with stage I–IV lung cancer were enrolled in the study and received either the GQ intervention or usual care (UC). Participants in the GQ group performed GQ at least twice a week (one hour per session) for three months. Physical fitness (chair stand, arm curl, sit and reach, back scratch, 8-foot up and go, 6-min walk test) was assessed at baseline, post-intervention, six months, and 12 months. Self-reported quality of life and sleep (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life questionnaire and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) were assessed at baseline, postintervention, and six months.

Results Forty-nine participants (65% females, 59.1±7.0 years old, ranging from 39 to 71 years old) were enrolled in the study, and 25 participants completed all tests at 12-month follow-up (13 in GQ vs. 12 in UC; 68% females, 59.3±5.5 years old). Compared to the UC group, results for the chair stand and arm curl tests improved significantly in the GQ group from baseline to post-intervention (P=0.024 and P=0.041, respectively). Similarly, the 8-foot up and go test improved in the GQ group from baseline to post-intervention and 12 months (P=0.004 and P=0.008, respectively) when compared to the UC group. Between-group analyses also revealed a statistically significant improvement in global health status/quality of life from baseline to six months (P=0.018) and quality of sleep from baseline to post-intervention (P=0.034) in favor of the GQ group.

Conclusion GQ had a beneficial effect on lower and upper body strength, locomotor performance (speed, agility, and balance while moving), quality of sleep, and quality of life among lung cancer survivors, but further randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm these findings.

Trial registration The trial has been registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200059145).

© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024

The research is supported by Shanghai Key Lab of Human Performance, Shanghai University of sport (Number 11DZ2261100).