J Thorac Dis. 2026 May 31;18(5):467. doi: 10.21037/jtd-2026-0500. Epub 2026 May 27.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Pulmonary rehabilitation plays a crucial role in lung cancer patients after surgery. In this context, traditional Chinese exercises (TCEs) are being increasingly utilized. However, the existing studies are characterized by small sample sizes, inconsistent interventions, and diverse outcome measures, which result in high heterogeneity and limited clinical applicability. This meta-analysis systematically assessed the impacts of two common TCEs on postoperative lung cancer patients, aiming to provide a basis for evidence-based rehabilitation strategies.
METHODS: A systematic search of nine electronic databases was conducted for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from inception to November 3, 2025. After independent screening, data extraction, and risk-of-bias assessment, meta-analysis was performed.
RESULTS: Twenty-five RCTs involving 1,834 participants were included. The meta-analysis demonstrated that TCE significantly improved pulmonary function outcomes, including forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC ratio, and FEV1% predicted. Additionally, TCE increased the 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) and quality of life (QoL) score. Regarding psychological outcomes, TCE significantly alleviated symptoms of anxiety. TCE showed no statistically significant effect on postoperative fatigue, Borg dyspnea scores and depression in lung cancer patients. Subgroup analyses suggested that timing of intervention initiation and settings may account for the observed heterogeneity in respiratory function outcomes. Furthermore, subgroup showed that Liuzijue was more effective than Baduanjin in improving FEV1/FVC (mean difference: 4.88 vs. 2.71), while Baduanjin was more effective than Liuzijue in alleviating anxiety (mean difference: -7.45 vs. -2.20).
CONCLUSIONS: TCE appears to be a beneficial intervention for enhancing pulmonary function, QoL, and mental health in postoperative lung cancer patients. However, further-quality studies are warranted to confirm the robustness of these findings due to limitations in certain outcome measures.
PMID:42306719 | PMC:PMC13266663 | DOI:10.21037/jtd-2026-0500
