Mette Kaasgaard ^1* Uffe Bodtger ¹ Anders Løkke ² Erik Jakobsen ³ Ole Hilberg ²

• ¹ Institute of Regional Health Research & Department of Medicine, Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde and Naestved, Naestved Hospital, Denmark, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
• ² Institute of Regional Health Research & Department of Medicine, Lillebelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
• ³ Danish Lung Cancer Registry, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic And Vascular Surgery, Odense University Hospital, Odense C, Denmark

Background: Surgical resection is the preferred treatment for localised non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Rehabilitation is central in the management of the associated impaired quality of life, high symptom burden, deconditioning, and social-existential vulnerability. Yet, optimal content and delivery of rehabilitation is not yet defined. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the current rehabilitation offer, attendance rate, and perceived relevance related to content or delivery. Moreover, we investigated the current symptom burden in the patients. Methods: We conducted an observational cohort study in patients who had undergone surgical resection for NSCLC four to six months earlier at Odense University Hospital, Denmark. We retrieved demographic data from patient registries, and interviewed patients via telephone concerning: Availability, uptake, and attendance rate of any rehabilitation offer in local primary care setting, content and delivery, benefits of attending, experienced relevance, and symptom burden generally (specially-developed questions) and “here and now” (Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale; ESAS). Results: We approached 128 patients, reached 115, and interviewed the 100 (87%) patients who consented. Totally, 88% (88/100) had received a rehabilitation offer, and 75% (66/88) had participated in a programme targeted either NSCLC (23%), or in general cancer rehabilitation (33%), pulmonary rehabilitation (12%), online (1%), or other (33%). Disease-specific rehabilitation was significantly related to the highest attendance rate and perception of relevance. High attendance (≥75%) was, moreover, significantly related to the offer being delivered by a physiotherapist and with a focus on physical exercise. Current symptoms were physically-oriented (dyspnoea (65%), pain (47%), fatigue (78%)) and “mild” in ESAS-scoring. No differences were observed in any baseline characteristics. Conclusions: Rehabilitation after surgical resection for localised NSCLC is delivered heterogeneously in Denmark. Disease-specific rehabilitation was positively related to attendance rate and to perceived relevance of the offer.