Singing Training vs Usual Care 6-18 Months After Surgical Resection for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Singing training (Singing for Lung Health (SLH)): 10 weeks of singing training (conducted according to the Singing for Lung Health (SLH) approach). The singing training will be delivered online (1 1/2 hour twice a week) by professional singing teachers specifically trained and experienced within SLH. Sessions include physical, vocal, and breathing exercises and musical repertoire. Besides, movement, dancing, and artefacts for playful games are included along with singing. Each session consists of 20 min physical warm-ups, 20 min vocal warm-up with rhythm and pitch games, 40 min singing (incl. break), and 10 min cool-down.

Control group: Usual care: The control group will receive usual care, i.e., no specific additional intervention above those which the person usually engages with.

Study summary

People who have undergone curative surgery for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) often experience reduced quality of life (QoL), a high burden of symptoms, and physical deconditioning. Current Danish rehabilitation offers are heterogeneous and inconsistent and not tailored to the specific needs of this population. Additionally, some patients continue to suffer from persistent physical symptoms months or even years after surgery, yet no targeted support is currently available for them. Singing - delivered as a structured form of training - has shown benefits in improving both physical and psychological outcomes in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although singing has not yet been studied in NSCLC patients, the two conditions share overlapping symptoms and characteristics. Therefore, the present study aims to explore whether a singing-based intervention can help reduce symptom burden and improve physical function and QoL in NSCLC patients 6 to 18 months post-surgery. To test this, a multi-centre randomised controlled trial (RCT) will be conducted, comparing a singing intervention to usual care. Given that travel and distance often pose significant barriers to participation, the intervention will be delivered online.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Change in Physical capacity — Changes pre-post 10 weeks (measured at all assessment points).
  Assessed with the Six Minute Walking Test (6MWT) (assessor-collected) , measured in meters walked in 6 minutes. Minimal important difference: \>30 m.
• Perceived exertion — Changes measured before and after performance of 6MWT; Changes pre-post 10 weeks (measured at all assessment points).
  Measured using BORG CR-10 dyspnoea scale (self-reported). The scale ranges from 0 to 10 points, where 0 represents no exertion/dyspnoea and 10 represents maximal exertion/dyspnoea. Minimal important difference: 1 point.
• Change in Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) — Changes pre-post 10 weeks (measured at all assessment points).
  St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) (self-reported questionnaire). SGRQ has 50 items with 76 weighted responses and four scores: Total, Symptom, Activity, Impact. Each score ranges from 0 to 100, with 100 representing worst possible health status and 0 best possible. Minimal important differnence: -4 units.

Trial sites (5)

More Zealand University Hospital trials in Denmark

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