Evaluation of the effectiveness of physiotherapy in patients after oncological breast cancer treatment based on spirometric indicators

Introduction
The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of physiotherapy in patients who underwent oncological treatment including spirometric indicators: FEV1, VC, FVC, PEF, FEV1/FVC, FEF25, FEF50, FEF75. Moreover, the possible influence of duration of physiotherapy on ventilation activity of lungs was assessed.

Material and methods
The study considered 91 women after breast cancer therapy qualified for outpatient physiotherapy. All patients underwent radiation therapy, and more than half of the women received concurrent chemotherapy. To assess rates of respiratory disorders, the patients were subjected to spirometric tests. The clinical status of examined subjects was also taken into account.

Results
Statistical analysis showed that the duration of physiotherapy contributed to increased ventilation index FEV1% – with each treatment day corresponding to an average of 1.8 units. In contrast, the involvement of lymph nodes radically reduced the level of PEF by as much as 64 units. The results of linear modelling provided evidence of statistically significant effects of chemotherapy on spirometric indicators. What is more, a statistically significant impact of time of rehabilitation on FEV1 increase was estimated.

Conclusions
Physiotherapy leads to improvement of lung functions in patients with breast cancer after oncological treatment; progress is more evident in patients with advanced cancer after radical treatment.