Long-term survival following lung surgery for cancer in high-risk patients after perioperative pulmonary rehabilitation.

Objectives: The benefits of a rehabilitation programme before lung surgical resection for cancer remain to be defined. The purpose of this observational study was to assess the efficacy of preoperative rehabilitation and postoperative rehabilitation on short- and long-term outcomes in patients who were at high operative risk.

Methods: Between January 2010 and December 2012, 20 consecutive non-operable patients (16 men and 4 women, mean age 66 years) with clinical N0 lung cancer were included.