BACKGROUND: The efficacy of exercise training in patients with lung cancer after lung resection has not been well established yet. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to investigate the efficiency of exercise training in patients with lung cancer after lung resection. METHODS: Several databases were searched for eligible randomised controlled trials (RCTs). The primary outcome was quality of life, and the secondary outcomes included 6-min walk distance (6MWD), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and postoperative complications (POCs). Weighted mean differences (WMDs) and relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by random-effects model. RESULTS: Six RCTs involving 438 patients were enrolled in this meta-analysis. The pooled WMDs of the scores were 2.41 (95% CI -5.20 to 10.02; p = 0.54) and -0.46 (95% CI -20.52 to 19.61; p = 0.96) for the physical and mental components of the 36-item short-form scale, respectively. The pooled WMDs were 23.50 m (95% CI -22.04 to 69.03; p = 0.31) for 6MWD and 0.03 L (95% CI -0.19 to 0.26; p = 0.76) for FEV1. Finally, the pooled RRs were 0.79 (95% CI 0.41 to 1.53; p = 0.49) for POCs. CONCLUSIONS: Insufficient evidence is available to support the efficacy of exercise training in patients with lung cancer after lung resection. Further studies must confirm our findings and investigate the long-term effects of exercise training on patients with lung cancer following lung resection.

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