Background
cancers, cancer, stroke, lung cancer, deaths
CANCERS, POSITIVE, CANCER, STROKE, LUNG CANCER
As a major public health issue worldwide, lung cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer, accounting for approximately 11.7% of all diagnosed cancers, and is the predominant cause of cancer-induced mortality (approximately 1.8 million deaths) [The active cycle of breathing technique (ACBT) is an ACT that focuses on the patients controlling their breathing pattern and includes breathing control, 3–4 thoracic expansion exercises, and a forced expiratory technique (huffing) [Acapella® (DHD Healthcare, Wampsville, NY, USA; CE approved) is a novel portable ACT for airway clearance that applies positive expiratory pressure with dual actions of pressurised respiration and vibration. Positive expiratory pressure encourages airflow behind secretions and alters sputum rheology (mucus flow), which facilitates secretion clearance without over-inflating the lungs [External diaphragm pacemaker (EDP, manufactured by Guangzhou Arahelio Biotechnology Co., Ltd., model HLO-GJI3A) stimulates the phrenic nerve through body surface low-frequency pulse electrical stimulation to increase phrenic nerve excitability, phrenic muscle contractility, and diaphragmatic activity, thus achieving the purpose of increasing the effective ventilation volume of alveoli and promoting the rehabilitation of functional capacity. Increasing evidence has suggested that EDP combined with ACBT is beneficial for reducing PPCs in patients with stroke [To quantify the effects of Acapella plus ACBT or EDP plus ACBT on functional capacity, lung function, and PPCs in postoperative patients with lung cancer, a three-arm, prospective, randomised, assessor-blinded, controlled trial was conducted. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine the efficacy of Acapella plus ACBT or EDP plus ACBT in promoting the rehabilitation of functional capacity, lung function, and PPCs compared with single-model ACBT; and (2) affirm whether one program is superior to the others.