Comprehensive Care Program SBRT

Pulmonary (lung) rehabilitation, which is done under the guidance of lung specialists/therapists. It includes breathing exercises, physical exercises, and exercises to increase tolerance of activity (stamina). This type of lung rehab has been shown to improve symptoms, quality of life, breathing, and walking distance. It has also been shown to decrease hospitalization and death rates in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer patients. Comprehensive Care Management Program (CCMP), a program that includes educational sessions for tobacco cessation, phone calls, and a home action plan has also demonstrated benefit in addition to the pulmonary rehabilitation. In this study, the investigators have an opportunity to identify and intervene with COPD patients. The vast majority of early stage lung cancer patients are much more scared of their cancer than their COPD. Upon identification of COPD and recognition of patient tobacco habits for patients planned to undergo SBRT, interventions can potentially be made that will reduce COPD hospitalization rates, second primary lung cancer rates, and likely death rates. The interventions are broadly available and relatively easily instituted and include the following: seeing a doctor to diagnose their other underlying illness or illnesses (both respiratory and cardiovascular), smoking cessation if they are smokers, and CCMP's and pulmonary rehabilitation which have shown measurable COPD benefits in prior trials.