Non-Small Cell Lung CancerREADY-LUNGNCT07401056
Preoperative Structured Exercise Programme on Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
A study testing Prehabilitation (Structured Preoperative Exercise Programme) in people with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, run by Hacettepe University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer is among the leading cancers, and surgery has a major role in treatment. Patients diagnosed with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) who are eligible for surgical treatment have a high risk of experiencing postoperative complications. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
- What is being tested?
- Prehabilitation (Structured Preoperative Exercise Programme)
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 62 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- Feb 2026to Mar 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Age ≥ 18 years.
- Ownership of a smartphone capable of tracking daily walking time.
- Diagnosis of primary non-small cell lung cancer.
- ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) classification I, II, or III.
- Follow-up and treatment provided by the same surgical team.
- No physical or cognitive impairment that would hinder participation in the study.
Who cannot join
- Diagnosis of recurrent lung cancer.
- Previous radiotherapy treatment prior to surgery.
- Any condition preventing walking or exercise (orthopedic, neurological, cardiovascular, metastatic, etc.).
- Diagnosis of additional respiratory system disease such as COPD, asthma, or emphysema preventing breathing exercises.
- Inability to complete the two-week structured exercise programme due to surgery being scheduled earlier or later than planned.
- Complications resulting in prolonged (>24 hours) intensive care unit stay after surgery.
- Inability to discontinue or continue the structured exercise programme at any stage.
- Refusal to participate in the study.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Turkey (Türkiye)1 site
Hacettepe University, Ankara, Altındağ 06230
Ankara
Burcu Duluklu, Phd, Asst. Prof., +903123051580, duluklu@hacettepe.edu.tr
Melisa T Öncü, Graduate Student, +905068207312, tur.melisa.oncu@gmail.com
About this study
Official title: The Effect of Preoperative Structured Exercise Programme on Postoperative Pain Severity, Recovery Level, Discharge Time and Quality of Life in Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Randomised Controlled Study
INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer is among the leading cancers, and surgery has a major role in treatment. Patients diagnosed with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) who are eligible for surgical treatment have a high risk of experiencing postoperative complications. Therefore, in recent years, the concept of prehabilitation has begun to gain importance. Within the scope of prehabilitation practices, patients are provided with programmes that include aerobic exercises and breathing exercises in the preoperative period.
AIM: This study aims to evaluate the effects of a structured exercise programme, including aerobic exercises and breathing exercises in the preoperative period, on postoperative pain severity, surgical recovery level, length of hospital stays (LOS), and quality of life (QoL) in patients diagnosed with NSCLC and planned for surgical treatment.
Read more
METHODS: The research is an experimental, parallel group-randomised controlled trial to be conducted with 62 participants followed in the Thoracic Surgery Outpatient Clinic of Dr. Abdurrahman Yurtaslan Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital and scheduled for surgery due to NSCLC. Patients will be equally assigned to the intervention and control groups using the block randomization method. In the intervention group, in the preoperative period, for two weeks and five days per week, at least 30 minutes of walking per day will be performed; in addition, for two weeks before surgery, throughout the entire week, during waking hours, 10 repetitions with incentive spirometer every hour, and daily four sessions of deep breathing \& coughing exercises will be performed as breathing exercises. In the control group, routine preoperative clinical procedures will be applied. In the postoperative period, pain severity, surgical recovery level, LOS, and QoL will be compared between the two groups. Data will be collected face-to-face by the researcher using the "Descriptive Characteristics Form", "EQ-5D-5L Quality of Life Scale", "Numeric Rating Scale (NRS)", and "Surgical Recovery Scale". Data on the length of hospital stay will be obtained from patient files. The data will be analysed using parametric and/or nonparametric tests through the SPSS.
CONCLUSION: The findings of the study are expected to contribute to strengthening holistic care approaches for the preoperative period in surgical nursing practices and to improving patient outcomes.
- Conditions
- Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
- Being tested
- Prehabilitation (Structured Preoperative Exercise Programme)
- Keywords
- exercise, discharge, lung cancer, pain, prehabilitation, quality of life, recovery
- Medical subject headings
- Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung, Motor Activity, Lung Neoplasms, Pain
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Prehabilitation (Structured Preoperative Exercise Programme)Other
Participants in this arm will receive a structured preoperative exercise programme starting two weeks before surgery. The programme includes moderate-intensity walking for at least 30 minutes 5 days per week, deep breathing and coughing exercises four times daily, and hourly incentive spirometry exercises while awake. Participants will record daily adherence to the exercise programme, and compliance will be monitored through daily telephone follow-up by the researcher. Study-related data will be collected from patients admitted to the hospital at the end of the two-week preoperative period in accordance with the study protocol. In this regard, the measurements to be taken in the study will include: (1) Pain severity: At 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours after surgery; (2) Surgical recovery level: On the third and seventh days after surgery; (3) Quality of life: On the first day before surgery and on the seventh day after surgery. (4) In addition, patients' LOSs will be recorded.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention Group | Experimental | Prehabilitation (Structured Preoperative Exercise Programme) Receives: Other: Prehabilitation (Structured Preoperative Exercise Programme) |
| Control Group | No intervention | Control: Partients in this arm will receive standard preoperative care without a structured exercise programme. Study-related data will be collected from patients admitted to the hospital at the end of the two-week preoperative period in accordance with the study protocol. In this regard, the measurements to be taken in the study will include: (1) Pain severity: At 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours after surgery; (2) Surgical recovery level: On the third and seventh days after surgery; (3) Quality of life: On the first day before surgery and on the seventh day after surgery. (4) In addition, patients' LOSs will be recorded. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Health-Related Quality of Life (EQ-5D-5L)
The EQ-5D-5L is a self-reported questionnaire assessing five dimensions of health: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression. Each dimension has five levels: no problems, mild problems, moderate problems, severe problems, and extreme problems. The questionnaire also includes a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) ranging from 0 (worst health) to 100 (best health) for participants to rate their current health status. Higher scores indicate better health.
Measured: Change from baseline scores on the 7th postoperative day.
Postoperative Pain Intensity (Numeric Rating Scale, NRS)
The NRS is an 11-point scale (0-10) used to assess pain intensity, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst possible pain. Patients rate their pain at each time point, and the average of the measurements will be used to assess postoperative pain. The NRS is validated for adults, including elderly patients and those with mild-to-moderate cognitive impairment.
Measured: Change from baseline scores on the 48 hours postoperatively.
Postoperative Surgical Recovery (Surgical Recovery Scale)
The Surgical Recovery Scale is a 13-item questionnaire assessing two sub-dimensions: "Impact on energy" and "Impact on daily activities." Items are scored using 6-point Likert scales, with higher scores indicating better recovery. The total score ranges from 8 to 73. This scale is validated with a Cronbach's α of 0.93.
Measured: Change from baseline scores on the 7th postoperative day.
Secondary outcomes (1)
Length of Hospital Stay
Patients' discharge time will be recorded and compared in both groups.
Measured: Approximately the seventh day.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 Feb 2026
- Study startFeb 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completionFeb 2027 (estimated)
- Study completionMar 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (3)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Non-Small Cell Lung CancerStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 62 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Hacettepe University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Burcu Duluklu, Hacettepe University
- Investigators
- Burcu Duluklu, Asst. Prof., Principal investigator, Hacettepe University, Faculty of Nursing, Surgical Nursing Department
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07401056
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- HAE24/90
- Acronym
- READY-LUNG
- Status last verified
- Feb 2026
- First submitted
- 3 Feb 2026
- Last updated
- 12 Feb 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Yilmaz B, Yayla A. Validity and Reliability Study of the Turkish Version of the Surgical Recovery Scale. J Perianesth Nurs. 2025 Oct;40(5):1281-1289. doi: 10.1016/j.jopan.2025.01.023. Epub 2025 Jun 20.
PubMed 40542811Machado P, Pimenta S, Garcia AL, Nogueira T, Silva S, Dos Santos CL, Martins MV, Canha A, Oliveiros B, Martins RA, Cruz J. Effect of Preoperative Home-Based Exercise Training on Quality of Life After Lung Cancer Surgery: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial. Ann Surg Oncol. 2024 Feb;31(2):847-859. doi: 10.1245/s10434-023-14503-2. Epub 2023 Nov 7.
PubMed 37934383Jiao M, Liang H, Zhang M. Effect of exercise on postoperative recovery of patients with non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Discov Oncol. 2024 Jun 17;15(1):230. doi: 10.1007/s12672-024-01079-w.
PubMed 38884823
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 12 Feb 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effect of Preoperative Structured Exercise Programme on Postoperative Pain Severity, Recovery Level, Discharge Time and Quality of Life in Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Randomised Controlled Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07401056
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- READY-LUNG / HAE24/90
- Conditions
- Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
- Keywords
- exercise, discharge, lung cancer, pain, prehabilitation, quality of life, recovery
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 62 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Hacettepe UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Feb 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- Feb 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Mar 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 10 Feb 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer is among the leading cancers, and surgery has a major role in treatment. Patients diagnosed with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) who are eligible for surgical treatment have a high risk of experiencing postoperative complications. Therefore, in recent years, the concept of prehabilitation has begun to gain importance. Within the scope of prehabilitation practices, patients are provided with programmes that include aerobic exercises and breathing exercises in the preoperative period.
AIM: This study aims to evaluate the effects of a structured exercise programme, including aerobic exercises and breathing exercises in the preoperative period, on postoperative pain severity, surgical recovery level, length of hospital stays (LOS), and quality of life (QoL) in patients diagnosed with NSCLC and planned for surgical treatment.
METHODS: The research is an experimental, parallel group-randomised controlled trial to be conducted with 62 participants followed in the Thoracic Surgery Outpatient Clinic of Dr. Abdurrahman Yurtaslan Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital and scheduled for surgery due to NSCLC. Patients will be equally assigned to the intervention and control groups using the block randomization method. In the intervention group, in the preoperative period, for two weeks and five days per week, at least 30 minutes of walking per day will be performed; in addition, for two weeks before surgery, throughout the entire week, during waking hours, 10 repetitions with incentive spirometer every hour, and daily four sessions of deep breathing \& coughing exercises will be performed as breathing exercises. In the control group, routine preoperative clinical procedures will be applied. In the postoperative period, pain severity, surgical recovery level, LOS, and QoL will be compared between the two groups. Data will be collected face-to-face by the researcher using the "Descriptive Characteristics Form", "EQ-5D-5L Quality of Life Scale", "Numeric Rating Scale (NRS)", and "Surgical Recovery Scale". Data on the length of hospital stay will be obtained from patient files. The data will be analysed using parametric and/or nonparametric tests through the SPSS.
CONCLUSION: The findings of the study are expected to contribute to strengthening holistic care approaches for the preoperative period in surgical nursing practices and to improving patient outcomes.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention Group | Experimental | Other: Prehabilitation (Structured Preoperative Exercise Programme)Prehabilitation (Structured Preoperative Exercise Programme) |
| Control Group | No intervention | –Control: Partients in this arm will receive standard preoperative care without a structured exercise programme. Study-related data will be collected from patients admitted to the hospital at the end of the two-week preoperative period in accordance with the study protocol. In this regard, the measurements to be taken in the study will include: (1) Pain severity: At 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours after surgery; (2) Surgical recovery level: On the third and seventh days after surgery; (3) Quality of life: On the first day before surgery and on the seventh day after surgery. (4) In addition, patients' LOSs will be recorded. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Age ≥ 18 years.
- Ownership of a smartphone capable of tracking daily walking time.
- Diagnosis of primary non-small cell lung cancer.
- ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) classification I, II, or III.
- Follow-up and treatment provided by the same surgical team.
Key exclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Diagnosis of recurrent lung cancer.
- Previous radiotherapy treatment prior to surgery.
- Any condition preventing walking or exercise (orthopedic, neurological, cardiovascular, metastatic, etc.).
- Diagnosis of additional respiratory system disease such as COPD, asthma, or emphysema preventing breathing exercises.
- Inability to complete the two-week structured exercise programme due to surgery being scheduled earlier or later than planned.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Prehabilitation (Structured Preoperative Exercise Programme)Participants in this arm will receive a structured preoperative exercise programme starting two weeks before surgery. The programme includes moderate-intensity walking for at least 30 minutes 5 days per week, deep breathing and coughing exercises four times daily, and hourly incentive spirometry exercises while awake. Participants will record daily adherence to the exercise programme, and compliance will be monitored through daily telephone follow-up by the researcher. Study-related data will be collected from patients admitted to the hospital at the end of the two-week preoperative period in accordance with the study protocol. In this regard, the measurements to be taken in the study will include: (1) Pain severity: At 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours after surgery; (2) Surgical recovery level: On the third and seventh days after surgery; (3) Quality of life: On the first day before surgery and on the seventh day after surgery. (4) In addition, patients' LOSs will be recorded. | Other | Intervention Group |
Primary outcome
Health-Related Quality of Life (EQ-5D-5L)
Time frame: Change from baseline scores on the 7th postoperative day.
The EQ-5D-5L is a self-reported questionnaire assessing five dimensions of health: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression. Each dimension has five levels: no problems, mild problems, moderate problems, severe problems, and extreme problems. The questionnaire also includes a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) ranging from 0 (worst health) to 100 (best health) for participants to rate their current health status. Higher scores indicate better health.
Postoperative Pain Intensity (Numeric Rating Scale, NRS)
Time frame: Change from baseline scores on the 48 hours postoperatively.
The NRS is an 11-point scale (0-10) used to assess pain intensity, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst possible pain. Patients rate their pain at each time point, and the average of the measurements will be used to assess postoperative pain. The NRS is validated for adults, including elderly patients and those with mild-to-moderate cognitive impairment.
Postoperative Surgical Recovery (Surgical Recovery Scale)
Time frame: Change from baseline scores on the 7th postoperative day.
The Surgical Recovery Scale is a 13-item questionnaire assessing two sub-dimensions: "Impact on energy" and "Impact on daily activities." Items are scored using 6-point Likert scales, with higher scores indicating better recovery. The total score ranges from 8 to 73. This scale is validated with a Cronbach's α of 0.93.
1 secondary outcome
Length of Hospital Stay
Time frame: Approximately the seventh day.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 12 Feb 2026.
- Background: PubMed 40542811Yilmaz B, Yayla A. Validity and Reliability Study of the Turkish Version of the Surgical Recovery Scale. J Perianesth Nurs. 2025 Oct;40(5):1281-1289. doi: 10.1016/j.jopan.2025.01.023. Epub 2025 Jun 20.
- Results publication: PubMed 37934383Machado P, Pimenta S, Garcia AL, Nogueira T, Silva S, Dos Santos CL, Martins MV, Canha A, Oliveiros B, Martins RA, Cruz J. Effect of Preoperative Home-Based Exercise Training on Quality of Life After Lung Cancer Surgery: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial. Ann Surg Oncol. 2024 Feb;31(2):847-859. doi: 10.1245/s10434-023-14503-2. Epub 2023 Nov 7.
- Results publication: PubMed 38884823Jiao M, Liang H, Zhang M. Effect of exercise on postoperative recovery of patients with non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Discov Oncol. 2024 Jun 17;15(1):230. doi: 10.1007/s12672-024-01079-w.
- EQ-5D-5L Quality of Life ScaleLink provided by the sponsor.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Burcu Duluklu, Asst. Prof. principal investigator
Hacettepe University, Faculty of Nursing, Surgical Nursing Department
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Prehabilitation (Structured Preoperative Exercise Programme) in people with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, run by Hacettepe University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 8 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 12 Feb 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Burcu Duluklu, Asst. Prof. (+905334732070, duluklu@gmail.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Health-Related Quality of Life (EQ-5D-5L) (time frame: Change from baseline scores on the 7th postoperative day.). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07401056, which also lists 3 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 12 Feb 2026.