Improved respiratory function following surgery-based respiratory function exercise in elderly lung cancer patients

According to a recent study, it was found that enhanced recovery after surgery-based respiratory function exercise was seen in elderly patients with lung cancer. The results of this study were published in the journal, Alternative therapies in health and medicine.

This study included 109 elderly lung cancer patients, who were randomly assigned to either the control group (n=52), who received conventional care or the research group (n=57), who received enhanced recovery after surgery-based respiratory function exercise along with conventional care. Parameters such as respiratory function, functional capacity, incidence of pulmonary complications, and quality of life were studied before and after the intervention.

It was seen that the research group exhibited improved Forced Expiratory Volume in the first second, Forced Expiratory Volume in the first second/Forced Vital Capacity, and Forced Vital Capacity when compared to the control group (P < .05). This group also showed higher Barthel indices, indicating better functional capacity and lower St George's Respiratory Questionnaire scores, signifying better quality of life. The incidence of pulmonary complications was also found to be lower in the research group.

Based on the above findings, it may be concluded that respiratory function can be improved following surgery-based respiratory function exercise and can promote postoperative functional recovery, enhance the quality of life, and reduce pulmonary complications in elderly patients with lung cancer.

Treatment with Osimertinib-chemotherapy leads to significantly longer progression-free survival in EGFR-Mutated Advanced NSCLC

According to a recent study, first-line treatment with a combination of osimertinib-chemotherapy led to significantly longer progression-free survival among patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study’s results were published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

This phase 3, international, open-label trial included 557 patients with EGFR-mutated advanced NSCLC, who had previously not received treatment for advanced disease, in a 1:1 randomization ratio to receive 80 mg once daily of osimertinib with chemotherapy (500 mg per square meter of body-surface area of pemetrexed) along with either 75 mg per square meter of cisplatin or pharmacologically guided dose of carboplatin or to receive 80 mg once daily of osimertinib monotherapy. The primary end point of the study was progression-free survival as assessed by investigator. Along with this, safety and response were also analyzed.

At the end of the study, it was observed that progression-free survival was significantly longer in the osimertinib-chemotherapy group when compared to osimertinib monotherapy group. At 24 months, osimertinib-chemotherapy group and osimertinib group had 57% and 41% patients, respectively who were alive and progression-free. While 83% patients in the osimertinib-chemotherapy group showed an objective response, 76% patients in the osimertinib group showed the same response. The median response duration was 24.0 months and 15.3 months in both groups, respectively.

From the above results, it can be concluded that osimertinib-chemotherapy as a first-line treatment may lead to significantly longer progression-free survival among patients with EGFR-mutated advanced NSCLC.

Treatment guided with serial cardiopulmonary PoCUS along with usual care reduces severity of dyspnoea

A recent study suggests that serial point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) when coupled with usual care, reduces the severity of dyspnoea, especially in patients with acute heart failure (AHF). This study was published in the Emergency medicine journal.

This randomized, controlled, blinded-outcome trial included 206 patients aged ≥18 years. They were randomized in a 1:1 ratio into serial ultrasound group (n=102) or control group (n=104). The participants received usual care (including a PoCUS within 1 hour of arrival) plus two additional PoCUS performed at 2 hours interval from the initial PoCUS as part of the serial ultrasound group while participants received a single cardiopulmonary PoCUS within 1 hour of arrival as part of the control group. Reduction of dyspnoea measured on a verbal dyspnoea scale (VDS) from 0 to 10 recorded at inclusion and after 2, 4, and 5 hours comprised the primary outcome.

It was found that the mean difference in VDS between patients in the serial ultrasound and control group was -1.09 and -1.66 after 4 and 5 hours, respectively. A large number of patients in the serial ultrasound group received diuretics. Thus, it can be concluded that treatment guided by serial cardiopulmonary PoCUS may, together with usual care, aid in greater improvement in the severity of dyspnoea, especially in patients with AHF, when compared to usual care alone.