Effectiveness of Aerobic Exercise and Tai Chi Interventions on Sleep Quality in Patients With Advanced Lung Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Sleep disturbances prevalent among patients with advanced lung cancer can aggravate physical and psychological symptoms, contributing to decreased quality of life and survival. Objective: To compare the effectiveness of 2 physical activities of different modalities and intensities, namely aerobic exercise (AE) and tai chi (TC), on subjective sleep quality, physical and psychological outcomes, and survival in patients with advanced lung cancer. Design, Setting, and Participants: This assessor-blinded, randomized clinical trial was conducted in 3 public hospitals in Hong Kong between December 19, 2018, and September 7, 2022. A total of 226 patients with advanced lung cancer were recruited and randomized 1:1:1 to AE, TC, or the control group. Interventions: For 16 weeks, the AE group received two 60-minute supervised group exercise sessions and home-based exercises per month, and the TC group received 60-minute group sessions twice weekly. The control group received physical activity guidelines. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was subjective sleep quality. Secondary outcomes included objective sleep measures, anxiety, depression, fatigue, quality of life, physical function, circadian rhythm, and 1-year survival. Assessments were conducted at baseline, 16 weeks (T1), and 1 year (T2). Results: The 226 participants had a mean (SD) age of 61.41 (8.73) years, and 122 (54.0%) were female. Compared with the control group, participants in the AE and TC groups showed statistically significant improvements in subjective sleep quality from baseline to T1 (AE: between-group difference, -2.72; 95% CI, -3.97 to -1.46; P < .001; TC: between-group difference, -4.21; 95% CI, -5.48 to -2.94; P < .001) and T2 (AE: between-group difference, -1.75; 95% CI, -3.24 to -0.26; P = .02; TC: between-group difference, -3.95; 95% CI, -5.41 to -2.49; P < .001), psychological distress, physical function, step count, and circadian rhythm. The TC group had a statistically significant greater improvement in sleep than the AE group at T1 (between-group difference, -1.49; 95% CI, -2.77 to -0.22; P = .02) and T2 (between-group difference, -2.20; 95% CI, -3.57 to -0.83; P < .001). Participants in the TC group showed statistically significant improvement in survival compared with the control group. Conclusions and Relevance: In this randomized clinical trial, AE and TC improved sleep, psychological distress, physical function, and circadian rhythm, with TC demonstrating greater benefits on sleep and survival. Both exercises, but particularly TC, can be incorporated into lung cancer survivorship care. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04119778.

A pilot randomized controlled trial using Baduanjin qigong to reverse frailty status among post-treatment older cancer survivors.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility and potential effects of qigong Baduanjin for reversing frailty status among older cancer survivors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight older cancer survivors screened as pre-frail or frail were recruited. They were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive a sixteen-week Baduanjin intervention or an active control condition (light flexibility exercise). Frailty status (primary outcome) and secondary outcomes (physical performance, activities of daily living performance, psychological well-being, and health-related quality of life) were measured by physical performance tests and questionnaires. Qualitative interviews were conducted to explore participants' perspectives on the intervention. RESULTS: Twenty-one participants (75%) completed the study, with reasons of withdrawal mainly relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Attendance at Baduanjin sessions and adherence to self-practice were satisfactory, with all retained participants attending all sessions and 81.8% practicing Baduanjin for more than 90 min per week. Qualitative findings demonstrated that participants accepted Baduanjin. The proportion of improvement in frailty status at post-intervention appeared to be higher in the intervention group (26.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 10.1% to 54.0%) than the control group (15.4%; 95% CI, 3.7% to 46.0%); yet the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.461). CONCLUSIONS: Baduanjin qigong appears to be feasible and acceptable among older cancer survivors. To confirm the intervention effect, an adequately powered trial is warranted. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04694066. Retrospectively registered 5 January 2021, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04694066.

Patient-centred, self-administered acupressure for Chinese advanced cancer patients experiencing fatigue and co-occurring symptoms: A pilot randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility and potential effects of patient-centred self-administered acupressure for alleviating fatigue and co-occurring symptoms among Chinese advanced cancer patients receiving treatment. METHODS: Thirty advanced cancer patients who screened positive for moderate/severe fatigue with symptoms of insomnia and/or pain were recruited from a hospital in Hong Kong. They were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive a 4-week patient-centred self-administered acupressure intervention or health education. Fatigue (primary outcome) and secondary outcomes (sleep quality, pain, fatigue-sleep disturbance-pain symptom cluster severity, anxiety, depression and quality of life) were measured by questionnaires and actigraphy. RESULTS: Twenty-four participants (80%) completed the study. Adherence to self-administered acupressure practice was satisfactory, with all retained participants attending all sessions and 90.9% practising acupressure daily. All completers rated the class as very enjoyable or quite enjoyable. Fatigue, pain, symptom cluster severity, anxiety, depression and quality of life appeared to improve from baseline to post-intervention in the intervention group. Among these outcomes, only the between-group difference in anxiety post-intervention was significant. The group × time interaction effect was nonsignificant for all outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Patient-centred self-administered acupressure appears to be feasible and acceptable among advanced cancer patients. A fully powered trial is warranted to confirm the intervention effect.

Feasibility of Aerobic Exercise and Tai-Chi Interventions in Advanced Lung Cancer Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: A majority of lung cancer patients are diagnosed at advanced stages. Although there is considerable evidence of the benefits of aerobic exercise and tai-chi for lung cancer patients, little is known about the comparative effectiveness of the 2 exercise modes in advanced lung cancer patients. OBJECTIVES: To explore the feasibility and preliminary effects of aerobic exercise and tai-chi interventions on survival and well-being among advanced lung cancer patients. METHODS: In an assessor-blinded, exploratory randomized controlled trial, 30 advanced lung cancer patients were randomized to an aerobic exercise group, a tai-chi group (both attending 12-week, twice-weekly supervised sessions), or a self-management control group (receiving written exercise guidelines). The primary outcomes focused on feasibility including intervention completion, exercise adherence, and adverse events, while the secondary outcomes addressed preliminary effects and included 1-year survival, cancer symptoms (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Score, Brief Fatigue Inventory), quality of life (EORTC QLQ-C30, QLQ-LC13), physical performance (6-minute walk test, up-and-go, sit-to-stand, 1-leg standing), activity levels (actigraph), and circadian rhythms (salivary cortisol). RESULTS: Intervention feasibility was established with a satisfactory completion rate at post-intervention for the aerobic exercise group (80%) and the tai-chi group (78%). The tai-chi group attained higher adherence than the exercise group in terms of attendance in supervised sessions (89% vs 75% of scheduled classes) and self-practice (225% vs 87% of the prescribed amount). Higher adherence to self-practice in the tai-chi group remained at the 6-month follow-up (81% vs 38% of the prescribed amount). No adverse event as a result of the intervention was reported. Effect-related outcomes did not show statistically significant changes in any group, except an improvement post-intervention in the up-and-go (-2.26, 95% CI: -4.04, -0.48) and sit-to-stand tests (4.52, 95% CI: 2.19, 6.85) in the aerobic exercise group. CONCLUSIONS: The findings support the feasibility of aerobic exercise and tai-chi interventions in advanced lung cancer patients. A future study with a larger sample from multiple sites is recommended to confirm the comparative effects of the 2 exercise interventions relative to the self-management group and to enhance the generalizability of the findings.

Integrative Palliative Care Service Model Improved End-of-Life Care and Overall Survival of Advanced Cancer Patients in Hong Kong: A Review of Ten-Year Territory-Wide Cohort.

Background: Integrated palliative care in oncology service has been widely implemented in Hong Kong since 2006. Aim: The study aimed to review its impact on end-of-life outcomes and overall survival (OS) of cancer patients, as well as its utilization of health care resources in the past 10 years. Design: Cancer deaths of all 43 public hospitals of Hong Kong were screened. Setting/Participants: Randomly selected 2800 cancer deaths formed a representative cohort in all seven service clusters of Hospital Authority at four time points (2006, 2009, 2012, and 2015). Individual patient records were thoroughly reviewed. Propensity score-matched (PSM) analysis was employed to compare the survival of patients. Results: Palliative care provision was associated with improved palliative care outcome, including more prescription of strong opioid, fewer cardiopulmonary resuscitations and intensive care unit admissions, and less futile chemotherapy usage in the end-of-life period (all p < 0.001). In the PSM analysis, the median OS in patients with palliative service (5.10 months, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.52-5.68 months) was significantly better than those without palliative service (1.96 months, 95% CI 1.66-2.27 months). Patients in the palliative care group had more specialist clinic visits (p < 0.001) and longer hospital stay (p < 0.001) in the last six months of life, although the duration of last admission stay at acute general ward was shortened (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Our results suggested palliative care has played a role in the remarkable improvement in end-of-life outcomes and OS. However, current palliative care model relied heavily on hospital resources. Future work is needed to strengthen community care and to build up quality monitoring systems.

Effectiveness of aerobic exercise and mind-body exercise in cancer patients with poor sleep quality: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Exercise has promising effects on sleep disturbances and quality of life among cancer patients. Aerobic exercises (AE) and mind-body exercises (MBE) have different mechanisms for improving sleep, but whether they are effective remains unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis is the first to examine the effectiveness of AE and MBE on sleep outcomes, specifically among cancer patients with sleep disturbances. A systematic search of several databases, from inception to January 2018, was conducted. The pooled effect sizes suggested that both AE (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.33, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.11, 0.54) and MBE (SMD = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.30), improved sleep outcomes in cancer patients with poor sleep quality post-intervention. The effects remained significant after 3-6 months for AE, but not MBE. Due to the heterogeneity in AE, future studies should establish the optimal AE prescription. For MBE, future research should study essential components that make the intervention effect sustainable.

Comparing the efficacy of integrative body-mind-spirit intervention with cognitive behavioral therapy in patient-caregiver parallel groups for lung cancer patients using a randomized controlled trial.

Purposes/objectives: This paper reports the comparative efficacies of integrative body-mind-spirit intervention (I-BMS) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in patient-caregiver parallel groups for Chinese patients with lung cancer.Design: Randomized controlled trial (RCT).Methods: One hundred and fifty-seven patient-caregiver dyads with no marked functional impairment were randomized into one of the two interventions with eight weekly patient-caregiver parallel groups. Assessments were conducted at baseline, within one, eight- and sixteen-weeks post-intervention. Effects of treatment group across time were analyzed by multilevel modeling.Findings: CBT led to greater reduction in emotional vulnerability than I-BMS. I-BMS resulted in greater increase in overall QoL and spiritual self-care, and more reduction in depression than CBT. Patients in both interventions experienced improvement in physical, emotional and spiritual, except social, domains of QoL.Conclusion: I-BMS was more efficacious for diverse domains of QoL, and CBT was more effective for emotional well-being, despite the relatively small between-group effect sizes.Implications for psychosocial providers/policy: (1) With the expanding repertoire of psychosocial interventions for families facing lung cancer, it has become imperative to investigate the comparative efficacies of empirically supported and culturally adapted interventions. (2) Our findings show that I-BMS was more effective for diverse domains of QoL, while CBT was more efficacious with emotional well-being, although both interventions led to significant improvements in physical, emotional and spiritual domains of patient QoL. (3) Patient-caregiver parallel groups have been shown to be effective for enhancing QoL of Chinese lung cancer patients. (4) Care professionals are encouraged to dispense interventions based on the idiosyncratic needs and preferences of the patients to maximize the treatment effects.

Comparing dyadic cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with dyadic integrative body-mind-spirit intervention (I-BMS) for Chinese family caregivers of lung cancer patients: a randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: The study adopted a randomized controlled trial to compare the effect of culturally compatible psychosocial interventions on multiple aspects of quality of life (QoL) for family caregivers of lung cancer patients. METHODS: 157 Chinese informal caregivers of lung cancer patients were recruited together with the family members for whom they were providing care, and randomly assigned to either integrative body-mind-spirit intervention (I-BMS) or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Patient-caregiver dyads attended the same arm of intervention in separate groups for 8 weeks. Assessments of generic QoL, anxiety, depression, perceived stress, insomnia, and caregiving burden were measured before intervention (T0), within 1-week (T1), 8-week (T2), and 16-week (T3) post-intervention. RESULTS: Adopting the intention-to-treat analysis, family caregivers in receipt of both I-BMS and CBT exhibited a statistically significant improvement in generic QoL immediately following intervention and at follow-up assessments, with moderate effect size. Improvement of insomnia was found at T1 for both modes, which deteriorated at follow-up; both modes reduced anxiety and perceived stress at follow-up. No intervention effect was observed in depression and domains of caregiving burden. There was no significant interaction effect between intervention type and time. No main or interaction effect between sample background variables and intervention type was found to predict symptomatic changes at T1 and T3. CONCLUSIONS: Culturally attuned I-BMS and CBT exhibited equivalent effectiveness in improving psychological distress and generic QoL for family caregivers of lung cancer patients. To improve the evaluation of outcomes, future study could benefit from incorporating a usual care control.

Study protocol of a randomized controlled trial comparing integrative body-mind-spirit intervention and cognitive behavioral therapy in fostering quality of life of patients with lung cancer and their family caregivers.

Compared to cancers at other sites, lung cancer often results in greater psychosocial distress to both the patients and their caregivers, due to the poor prognosis and survival rate, as well as the heavy symptom burden. In recent years, making protocols of proposed or on-going studies publicly available via clinical trial registries and/or peer-reviewed journals has benefited health sciences with timely communication of the latest research trends and improved transparency in reporting. However, such practice is yet to be a common sight in evidence-informed social work. Hence, this paper discusses the value of publishing protocols in social work research and presents the protocol of a randomized controlled trial that compares the effectiveness of integrative body-mind-spirit intervention with cognitive behavioral therapy for enhancing quality of life of patients with lung cancer and their family caregivers. The data collection process was still on-going at the time of manuscript submission.

The impact of palliative care training for oncologists and integrative palliative service in a public-funded hospital cluster-a retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: Oncological care of advanced cancer patients was provided by multiple departments in Hong Kong. One of these departments, the clinical oncology department (COD), introduced systematic palliative care training for its oncologists since 2002. The COD was recognized as a European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Designated Centre of Integrated Oncology and Palliative Care since 2009. This retrospective cohort study aims to review the impact of integrative training and service on palliative care coverage and outcome. METHODS: Clinical information, palliative service provision, and end-of-life outcomes of patients who passed away from lung, colorectal, liver, stomach, or breast cancer in the Hong Kong West public hospital network during July 2015 to December 2015 were collected. RESULTS: A total of 307 patients were analyzed. Around half (49.2%) were attended primarily by COD, and 68.9% received palliative service. There are significantly fewer patients referred to palliative care from other departments (p < 0.001), with only 19.9% of this patient group receiving palliative referral. COD patients had longer palliative coverage before death (median 65 days versus 24 days, p < 0.001), higher chance of receiving end-of-life care at hospice units (36.4 versus 21.2%, p = 0.003), lower ICU admission (0.66 versus 5.1%, p = 0.02), and higher percentage of receiving strong opioid in the last 30 days of life (51.0 versus 28.9%, p < 0.001) compared to other departments. In multivariable analysis, COD being the primary care team (odds ratio 12.2, p < 0.001) was associated with higher palliative care coverage. CONCLUSION: The study results suggested that systematic palliative care training of oncologists and integrative palliative service model was associated with higher palliative service coverage and improved palliative care outcomes.

Seeking and Accepting: U.S. Clergy Theological and Moral Perspectives Informing Decision Making at the End of Life.

BACKGROUND: People with serious illness frequently rely on religion/spirituality to cope with their diagnosis, with potentially positive and negative consequences. Clergy are uniquely positioned to help patients consider medical decisions at or near the end of life within a religious/spiritual framework. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine clergy knowledge of end-of-life (EOL) care and beliefs about the role of faith in EOL decision making for patients with serious illness. DESIGN: Key informant interviews, focus groups, and survey. SETTING/SUBJECTS: A purposive sample of 35 active clergy in five U.S. states as part of the National Clergy End-of-Life Project. MEASUREMENT: We assessed participant knowledge of and desire for further education about EOL care. We transcribed interviews and focus groups for the purpose of qualitative analysis. RESULTS: Clergy had poor knowledge of EOL care; 75% desired more EOL training. Qualitative analysis revealed a theological framework for decision making in serious illness that balances seeking life and accepting death. Clergy viewed comfort-focused treatments as consistent with their faith traditions' views of a good death. They employed a moral framework to determine the appropriateness of EOL decisions, which weighs the impact of multiple factors and upholds the importance of God-given free will. They viewed EOL care choices to be the primary prerogative of patients and families. Clergy described ambivalence about and a passive approach to counseling congregants about decision making despite having defined beliefs regarding EOL care. CONCLUSIONS: Poor knowledge of EOL care may lead clergy to passively enable congregants with serious illness to pursue potentially nonbeneficial treatments that are associated with increased suffering.