Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42419820›Full record

Observational studyBMJ open respiratory research2026

Patient-reported outcomes after surgical resection for non-small cell lung cancer and perceptions of postsurgical rehabilitation programmes.

Mette Kaasgaard, Morten Borg, Jens Pers Kaltoft, Gitte Alstrup, Anne Orholm Nielsen, Pernille Kristiansen, Lise Stensen Bhatia, Jens-Ulrik Stæhr Jensen, René Horsleben Petersen, Erik Jakobsen and 2 more

Abstract readMulticenter StudyObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMJ open respiratory research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Mette KaasgaardDepartment of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark Faculty of Health Sciences, Odense, Denmark mkaasgaard@health.sdu.dk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3833-2943
Morten BorgDepartment of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark Faculty of Health Sciences, Odense, Denmark.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6204-2623
Jens Pers KaltoftDepartment of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark Faculty of Health Sciences, Odense, Denmark.
Gitte AlstrupDepartment of Medicine, Pulmonary Research Unit (PLUZ), Zealand University Hospital Roskilde, Naestved, Denmark.
Anne Orholm NielsenDepartment of Respiratory Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Pernille KristiansenDepartment of Respiratory Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Lise Stensen BhatiaDepartment of Medicine, Copenhagen Respiratory Research, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Hellerup, Denmark.
Jens-Ulrik Stæhr JensenDepartment of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen Faculty of Health Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark.
René Horsleben PetersenDepartment of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen Faculty of Health Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Erik JakobsenDepartment of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
Ole HilbergDepartment of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark Faculty of Health Sciences, Odense, Denmark.
Uffe BodtgerDepartment of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark Faculty of Health Sciences, Odense, Denmark.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSurgical resection is essential in the treatment of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), followed by rehabilitation with physical exercise training to improve physical capacity, quality of life (QoL) and symptom burden. In Denmark, rehabilitation is municipality-based and not disease-specific and without a maintenance model. We aimed to investigate QoL and symptoms 6-12 months after NSCLC surgery, hypothesising impaired QoL and symptom levels. Moreover, we explored rehabilitation attendance.

methodsAn observational, cross-sectional, survey-based study was conducted from March to June 2025 across two Danish regions in patients after surgery for stage I or II NSCLC and without adjuvant oncological treatment (preregistration: osf.io/vmpft). Each site contacted their own eligible patients via digital mail. Registry data from the Danish Lung Cancer Registry and electronic patient registries: socio-demographics, disease-specific characteristics and surgical procedure. Survey data: QoL and symptoms burden (measure: The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30; Reporting: Raw and transformed scores and dichotomised according to defined thresholds and cut-offs for clinical importance) and self-reported information about rehabilitation attendance. DATA ANALYSES: descriptive and stratified analyses.

resultsWe identified 168 patients, 94 (56% of 168) were eligible and 67 (71% of 94) responded to the survey. No differences were found in baseline characteristics and overall mean time since surgery was 8.9±1.8 months. Current QoL and symptoms were clinically impaired (eg, physical functioning: 51%; dyspnoea: 70%). Around half (54%) reported having attended a rehabilitation programme and those having attended were more likely to have clinically impaired physical functioning and dyspnoea at present.

conclusionsQoL and symptoms were impaired 6-12 months after NSCLC surgery, and the current level did not seem to be related to having attended a postsurgical rehabilitation programme. Disease-specific challenges should be addressed in future rehabilitation and maintenance models.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell LungLung NeoplasmsPatient Reported Outcome MeasuresQuality of LifeAgedCross-Sectional StudiesDenmarkExercise TherapyFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRegistriesSurveys and QuestionnairesSymptom BurdenExerciseNon-Small Cell Lung CancerPatient Outcome AssessmentPulmonary Rehabilitation

Identifiers

PMID42419820
PMCPMC13347808

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.