Clinical Significance of the Baseline Six-Minute Walk Test in Patients With Early-Stage Lung Cancer and COPD: Correlations With Pulmonary Function, COPD Severity, Cognitive Function, and Quality of Life.
Driven by global industrialization and a rapidly aging population, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) increasingly co-occur, posing complex challenges for clinical management. Although the six-minute walk test (6MWT) is a well-established tool for assessing functional status in each condition, its specific role in patients with early-stage lung cancer and comorbid COPD remains unexplored. This study aimed to explore the correlations between the baseline 6MWT results and pulmonary function, COPD severity, cognitive function, and quality of life (QoL) in patients with early-stage lung cancer and comorbid COPD.
A retrospective study was conducted, enrolling 215 patients with early-stage lung cancer and COPD admitted to Hebei Provincial People's Hospital between January 2022 and December 2023. Data on patient demographics, baseline 6MWT results (six-minute walk distance [6MWD]), pulmonary function parameters (forced expiratory volume in one second [FEV1], forced vital capacity [FVC], FEV1/FVC ratio), COPD severity grade, cognitive function (Montreal Cognitive Assessment [MoCA] score), and quality of life (St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire [SGRQ] score) were collected from medical records. Patients were dichotomized into High and Low 6MWD groups based on the median 6MWD value. Spearman correlation, univariate analyses, and multivariate logistic regression were used to examine relationships and identify independent factors associated with 6MWD.
Logistic regression identified age, FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC, COPD severity grade, MoCA score, and the dimensions of respiratory symptoms and activity limitation of the SGRQ scores as independent factors influencing 6MWD. Age demonstrated a significant negative correlation with 6MWD (rs = -0.666, p < 0.001). FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC were each significantly positively correlated with 6MWD (rs = 0.557, p < 0.001; rs = 0.139, p = 0.041; rs = 0.598, p < 0.001, respectively). A statistically significant difference in 6MWD was observed among patients with different COPD severity levels (H = 49.283, p < 0.001). MoCA scores showed a significant positive correlation with 6MWD (rs = 0.388, p < 0.001). The respiratory symptoms, activity limitation, and impact on daily life scores of the SGRQ were each significantly negatively correlated with 6MWD (rs = -0.766, p < 0.001; rs = -0.617, p < 0.001; rs = -0.245, p < 0.001, respectively).
The 6MWT results in patients with early-stage lung cancer and COPD demonstrate significant correlations with pulmonary function, COPD severity, cognitive function, and quality of life. Therefore, the 6MWT can be deployed as a comprehensive functional assessment tool in this patient population.
A retrospective study was conducted, enrolling 215 patients with early-stage lung cancer and COPD admitted to Hebei Provincial People's Hospital between January 2022 and December 2023. Data on patient demographics, baseline 6MWT results (six-minute walk distance [6MWD]), pulmonary function parameters (forced expiratory volume in one second [FEV1], forced vital capacity [FVC], FEV1/FVC ratio), COPD severity grade, cognitive function (Montreal Cognitive Assessment [MoCA] score), and quality of life (St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire [SGRQ] score) were collected from medical records. Patients were dichotomized into High and Low 6MWD groups based on the median 6MWD value. Spearman correlation, univariate analyses, and multivariate logistic regression were used to examine relationships and identify independent factors associated with 6MWD.
Logistic regression identified age, FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC, COPD severity grade, MoCA score, and the dimensions of respiratory symptoms and activity limitation of the SGRQ scores as independent factors influencing 6MWD. Age demonstrated a significant negative correlation with 6MWD (rs = -0.666, p < 0.001). FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC were each significantly positively correlated with 6MWD (rs = 0.557, p < 0.001; rs = 0.139, p = 0.041; rs = 0.598, p < 0.001, respectively). A statistically significant difference in 6MWD was observed among patients with different COPD severity levels (H = 49.283, p < 0.001). MoCA scores showed a significant positive correlation with 6MWD (rs = 0.388, p < 0.001). The respiratory symptoms, activity limitation, and impact on daily life scores of the SGRQ were each significantly negatively correlated with 6MWD (rs = -0.766, p < 0.001; rs = -0.617, p < 0.001; rs = -0.245, p < 0.001, respectively).
The 6MWT results in patients with early-stage lung cancer and COPD demonstrate significant correlations with pulmonary function, COPD severity, cognitive function, and quality of life. Therefore, the 6MWT can be deployed as a comprehensive functional assessment tool in this patient population.