Grant: Project Grant - PA: Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes

Many persons with lung cancer lose muscle, are fatigued and have more difficulties performing their normal activities. Those who undergo surgery in these conditions suffer from more complications, take more time to recover and have more risk of mortality. Our research group has shown that a moderate exercise and nutrition intervention can improve functional status, not only during recovery but even before surgery. We will take advantage of the 4-week waiting period to engage patients in this intervention that also includes consultation to reduce anxiety and to improve diet, and which will last for 8 weeks after surgery. Patients scheduled for lung cancer surgery will be assigned by change to one of three groups: 1) receiving the usual care including education on a healthy lifestyle, 2) receiving a novel nutritional supplement that combines important nutrients involved in muscle health, or 3) taking the supplement and following an exercise program (with one supervised session per week). All groups will attend anxiety management sessions and counseling with the dietitian. Tests will include walking endurance, muscle strength, scans for body composition, heart-lung-muscle capacity, and questionnaires for the quality of life before and after surgery. Their length of stay in the hospital and complications due to surgery will be recorded. Small muscle samples will be collected during surgery in a subset of participants to study how the supplement influences the muscle quality and its capacity to build new proteins and store lipids. This work has the potential to help persons with lung cancer regain their normal functions and quality of life faster and with lesser complications after surgery. This would benefit the health care system as well.