Purpose: Long-acting bronchodilators are recommended as a first-line treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), although their effects for postoperative lung cancer patients with COPD are still not well known. A prospective randomized trial was used to examine the efficacy of bronchodilators on postoperative pulmonary function and quality of life (QOL).
Methods: Twenty lung cancer patients with COPD who had lobectomies were randomized. A control group (n = 10) did not receive bronchodilators. An experimental group (n = 10) received tiotropium and salmeterol. Patients were divided into two COPD grades: stage I COPD and stage II-III COPD. Results for pulmonary function, 6-minute walking test, and the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) were compared. Diaphragmatic motion on dynamic magnetic resonance imaging was also analyzed.
Results: The patient demographics were similar in the two groups. Except for pulmonary function results at 2 weeks, no other parameters were significantly different. However, in stage II-III COPD, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, forced vital capacity, inspiratory capacity, the total score of the SGRQ, and diaphragmatic motion in the experimental group (n = 5) were significantly better than those in the control group (n = 4) at various time points (all P < 0.05).
Conclusion: The daily inhalation of bronchodilators was effective for maintaining the respiratory function and QOL in lung cancer patients with moderate to severe COPD.