Telerehabilitation physical exercise for patients with lung cancer through the course of their disease: A systematic review.

Background and objective: Evidence is shown for the benefits of physical activity, for patients with lung cancer, at different times through the course of the disease. Telerehabilitation can overcome some of barriers often met by patients to practice physical activity. The objective of this systematic review is to assess feasibility and safety of telerehabilitation for patients with lung cancer, its effects on physical capacity, quality of life, symptoms severity, depression and anxiety, survival, lung function, post-operative outcomes, dyspnoea and body composition. Secondary aim was to distinguish the telerehabilitation efficacy between the different phases of the disease.

Data source and selection criteria: Pubmed, PEDro, Scopus, ScienceDirect, randomized controlled trials and non-randomized controlled trials, written in French or English, of telerehabilitation among patients with lung cancer.

Results: Eight studies were included. Telerehabilitation is safe but was characterized by a low recruitment and attendance rate (<70%). It enhances quality of life, muscle mass, depression and anxiety but it does not improve physical capacity (except in preoperative period), symptoms severity, survival, lung function or dyspnoea. After surgery, it ameliorates quality of life, depression and anxiety. During systemic treatments of lung cancer, it improves quality of life, symptoms severity and muscle mass.

Conclusion: Telerehabilitation could be proposed in patients with lung cancer as a complementary intervention of hospital-based programme to increase physical activity volume, compliance and self-efficacy. In case the classic programmes are not possible, it could also be an alternative approach for patients unable to participate to a hospital or community-based training programme.