{
  "abstract": "Background Surgical 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.Methods An 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.Results We 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.Conclusions QoL 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.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark Faculty of Health Sciences, Odense, Denmark",
        "Department of Medicine, Pulmonary Research Unit (PLUZ), Zealand University Hospital Roskilde, Naestved, Denmark"
      ],
      "name": "Mette Kaasgaard"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark Faculty of Health Sciences, Odense, Denmark",
        "Department of Medicine, Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark"
      ],
      "name": "Morten Borg"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark Faculty of Health Sciences, Odense, Denmark",
        "Department of Medicine, Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark"
      ],
      "name": "Jens Pers Kaltoft"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Medicine, Pulmonary Research Unit (PLUZ), Zealand University Hospital Roskilde, Naestved, Denmark"
      ],
      "name": "Gitte Alstrup"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Respiratory Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark"
      ],
      "name": "Anne Orholm Nielsen"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Respiratory Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark",
        "Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen Faculty of Health Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark"
      ],
      "name": "Pernille Kristiansen"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Medicine, Copenhagen Respiratory Research, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Hellerup, Denmark"
      ],
      "name": "Lise Stensen Bhatia"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen Faculty of Health Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark",
        "Department of Medicine, Copenhagen Respiratory Research, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Hellerup, Denmark"
      ],
      "name": "Jens-Ulrik Stæhr Jensen"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen Faculty of Health Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark",
        "Department of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark"
      ],
      "name": "René Horsleben Petersen"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark",
        "Danish Lung Cancer Registry (DLCR), Odense, Denmark"
      ],
      "name": "Erik Jakobsen"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark Faculty of Health Sciences, Odense, Denmark",
        "Department of Medicine, Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark"
      ],
      "name": "Ole Hilberg"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark Faculty of Health Sciences, Odense, Denmark",
        "Department of Medicine, Pulmonary Research Unit (PLUZ), Zealand University Hospital Roskilde, Naestved, Denmark"
      ],
      "name": "Uffe Bodtger"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Patient-reported outcomes after surgical resection for non-small cell lung cancer and perceptions of postsurgical rehabilitation programmes",
  "uid": "d0be35b7-45be-5879-a0a8-eee6f04bae1a"
}