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The Six-Minute-Walk Test (6-MWT) is an established and well-validated diagnostic procedure in cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. The significance of the 6-MWT in the assessment of the respiratory function in tumor patients after lung surgery is yet unclear.

METHODS: The retrospective study included 227 patients following oncological rehabilitation after lobectomy, pneumonectomy or wedge- and segmental resection due to a malignant tumor disease. Spirometry and 6-MWT were performed at the beginning (T1) and at the end (T2) of oncological rehabilitation and correlated with each other. A subgroup analysis on clinically relevant parameters was conducted as well.

RESULTS: A significant improvement of the walking distance measured in 6-MWT as well as of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were detected within the scope of spirometry (all three P<0.01). This effect was demonstrable in all subgroups, except for patients who underwent pneumonectomy. However, a low correlation of the parameters walking distance and FEV1 was observed at both measurement points T1 (rho value =0.21) and T2 (rho value =0.25).

CONCLUSIONS: Measuring the walking distance in the 6-MWT could be a suitable parameter to assess respiratory function.