Physical activity and health-related quality of life after lung cancer surgery - cross-sectional analyses 3 and 12 months postoperatively

Sep 24, 2026

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Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide, and surgical resection is the primary curative approach, yet survivorship highlights the importance of health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study examines how objectively measured physical activity relates to HRQoL in patients 3 and 12 months after lung cancer surgery. Cross-sectional follow-up assessed HRQoL with EORTC QLQ-C30 and LC13, and physical activity via a tri-axial accelerometer (ActiGraph GT3X+).

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background

Methods

Study design

Results

Conclusions

Trial registration

Keywords

Jonsson etal. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes (2025) 23:69 [https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-025-02400-z](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-025-02400-z) Health and Quality of Life Outcomes RESEARCH Open Access Physical activity and health-related quality of life after lung cancer surgery– crosssectional analyses 3 and 12 months postoperatively Marcus Jonsson 1*, Anita Hurtig-Wennlöf2, Anders Ahlsson3 and Elisabeth Westerdahl4 Abstract Background Lung cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers, and the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Surgical resection is the primary curative treatment. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that all adults, including cancer survivors, should engage in at least 150 to 300 min of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity per week. Positive associations have been found between self-reported physical activity and healthrelated quality of life (HRQoL) after lung cancer surgery. However, there is a lack of studies concerning objectively measured physical activity levels, and longer follow-ups are also missing. This study investigated the relationship between objectively measured physical activity levels and HRQoL in patients 3 and 12 months after lung cancer surgery. Methods Utilizing a cross-sectional design, patients were followed up 3 (n = 83) and 12 (n = 57) months after lung cancer surgery. HRQoL was assessed with the cancer-specific questionnaire EORTC QLQ-C30 and the lung-cancerspecific module LC13 . Physical activity was measured with a tri-axial accelerometer (ActiGraph GT3X+) . Results At 3 months after surgery, 51%(n = 42) of the patients reached the level of physical activity recommended by the WHO; the corresponding result at 12 months was 42%(n = 24) . Patients who reached the recommended level of physical activity reported a better HRQoL, with better global health status and physical function as well as lower symptoms of fatigue, at both 3 and 12 months postoperatively. Conclusions Physical activity was positively associated with HRQoL. Encouraging and supporting patients to engage in regular physical activity could contribute to better HRQoL after lung cancer surgery. Trial registration The trial was registered [at ClinicalTrials.gov](at ClinicalTrials.gov) (NCT01961700), registration date 20,131,009 . Keywords Thoracic surgery, Postoperative, Health-related quality of life, Lung cancer *Correspondence: Marcus Jonsson [marcus.jonsson@oru.se](marcus.jonsson@oru.se) 1Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro SE-70182, Sweden 2Department of Clinical Diagnostics, School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University, Jönköping SE-55111, Sweden 3School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro SE-70182, Sweden 4University Health Care Research Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health,Örebro University, Örebro SE-70182, Sweden © The Author(s) 2025. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit [http://creativecommons.org/l](http://creativecommons.org/l)icenses/by/4.0/. Jonsson et al. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes (2025) 23:69 Background Lung cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed can

FAQs

What was the study’s main objective after lung cancer surgery?

To investigate the relationship between objectively measured physical activity levels and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) at 3 and 12 months postoperatively.

How were HRQoL and physical activity measured in the study?

HRQoL was assessed using the cancer-specific questionnaire EORTC QLQ-C30 and the lung cancer-specific module LC13, while physical activity was measured with a tri-axial accelerometer (ActiGraph GT3X+).

What did the study find about patients meeting WHO physical activity recommendations?

Patients reaching the recommended physical activity level reported better HRQoL, including better global health status and physical function and lower fatigue symptoms at both 3 and 12 months.

Sep 24, 2026

Uploaded by Grenda