The effect of preoperative smoking cessation or preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation on outcomes after lung cancer surgery: a systematic review

The preferred treatment for lung cancer is surgery if the disease is considered resectable and the patient is considered surgically fit. Preoperative smoking cessation and/or preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation might improve postoperative outcomes after lung cancer surgery. The objectives of this systematic review were to determine the effectiveness of (1) preoperative smoking cessation and (2) preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation on peri- and postoperative outcomes in patients who undergo resection for lung cancer. We searched MEDLINE, PreMedline, Embase, Cochrane Library, Cinahl, BNI, Psychinfo, Amed, Web of Science (SCI and SSCI), and Biomed Central. Original studies published in English investigating the effect of preoperative smoking cessation or preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation on operative and longer-term outcomes in ≥ 50 patients who received surgery with curative intent for lung cancer were included. Of the 7 included studies that examined the effect of preoperative smoking cessation (n = 6) and preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation (n = 1) on outcomes after lung cancer surgery, none were randomized controlled trials and only 1 was prospective. The studies used different smoking classifications, the baseline characteristics differed between the study groups in some of the studies, and most had small sample sizes. No formal data synthesis was therefore possible. The included studies were marked by methodological limitations. On the basis of the reported bodies of evidence, it is not possible to make any firm conclusions about the effect of preoperative smoking cessation or of preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation on operative outcomes in patients undergoing surgery for lung cancer.