Background: The functional exercise capacity and its correlates in advanced cancer patients in stratified age groups were examined.
Materials and methods: A total of 105 patients with advanced lung cancer were recruited prospectively and stratified into young (≤50 years), middle (51-65 years), and old (>65 years) age groups. Respiratory performances, which included maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressure, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, and forced vital capacity were measured. The distance ambulated in a 6-minute walk test was used as an indicator for functional capacity.
Results: The young age group had lowest baseline pulmonary function and performed worse on the 6-minute walk test among the three age groups. The risk factors for poor functional capacity were female, lower percent predicted maximal expiratory pressure, worse dyspnea, and lower hemoglobin in the young age group; lower percent predicated forced expiratory volume in 1 second and forced vital capacity, and greater weight loss in the middle age group; and only worse dyspnea in the old age group. The above identified risk factors accounted for 73.6%, 58.5%, and 42.1% variance in 6-minute walk distance for the young, middle, and old age group, respectively.
Conclusion: The impacts of these factors on functional exercise capacity should be carefully considered while designing exercise intervention according to age.
Keywords: 6-minute walk test; advanced lung cancer; age; respiratory muscle strength; spirometry.