A recent study highlighted various non-pharmacological methods of managing adverse symptoms associated with lung cancer, including cough, “a prevalent and debilitating symptom” of the disease.
A team of researchers from Hong Kong conducted the study and published their findings in the Journal of Clinical Nursing.
The investigators highlighted the negative effects of poor cough management among patients diagnosed with lung cancer and explained that “accumulating evidence on non-pharmacological interventions for lung cancer cough necessitates systematic evaluation to assess their efficacy.”
To select randomized controlled trials to inform the study, the investigators searched nine databases from “inception to December 2024.” They analyzed the quality of the studies using the Revised Cochrane Risk-of-Bias Tool for Randomized Trials and “meta-analyses were performed for quantitative synthesis, with sources of heterogeneity examined using meta-regression and subgroup analyses.”
A total of 38 studies were identified and selected for inclusion, representing 2,995 patients with lung cancer. The interventions assessed by the studies included moxibustion, pulmonary rehabilitation, acupuncture, self-management methods, physical exercises, psychoeducational support, mindfulness, and additional multicomponent interventions.
The results found that “non-pharmacological interventions showed positive effects on cough severity and cough-related quality of life.” The investigators also outlined additional benefits that were observed with the implementation of non-pharmacological interventions, including expectoration, dyspnea, and general quality of life. Overall, pulmonary rehabilitation demonstrated “greater effect on cough severity than other non-pharmacological interventions.”
In reflecting on the implications for oncology nursing practice, the investigators underscored that “non-pharmacological interventions demonstrated potential effects in relieving cough and additional benefits in improving expectoration, dyspnea, and general quality of life among lung cancer patients.”
“Future research should adopt objective cough measures in addition to self-reported measures” as symptom management interventions in lung cancer care, the researchers concluded.