A recent study collaborated by universities from Australia, China and the U.S. investigated the effects of a three-month Guolin Qigong intervention on physical fitness and patient-reported health outcomes among patients with lung cancer.
This pilot study was a non-randomized controlled trial. Eligible participants who were over 18 years of age and diagnosed with stage I-IV lung cancer were enrolled in the study and received either the Guolin Qigong intervention or usual care. Participants in the Guolin Qigong group performed Guolin Qigong at least twice a week (one hour per session) for three months. Physical fitness (chair stand, arm curl, sit and reach, back scratch, 8-foot up and go, 6-min walk test) was assessed at baseline, post-intervention, six months, and 12 months. Self-reported quality of life and sleep (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life questionnaire and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and six months.
Forty-nine participants (65% females, ranging from 39 to 71 years old) were enrolled in the study, and 25 participants completed all tests at 12-month follow-up (13 in Guolin Qigong vs. 12 in usual care; 68% females, 53 to 65 years old).
Compared to the usual care group, results for the chair stand and arm curl tests improved significantly in the Guolin Qigong group from baseline to post-intervention. Similarly, the 8-foot up and go test improved in the Guolin Qigong group from baseline to post-intervention and 12 months when compared to the usual care group. Between-group analyses also revealed a statistically significant improvement in global health status/quality of life from baseline to six months and quality of sleep from baseline to post-intervention in favor of the Guolin Qigong group.
The results, published by Support Care in Cancer in January 2024, show that Guolin Qigong had a beneficial effect on lower and upper body strength, locomotor performance (speed, agility, and balance while moving), quality of sleep, and quality of life among lung cancer survivors, but further randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm these findings.
