This study compared the pulmonary function and fatigue in patients before and after adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) and correlated the pulmonary function with the radiotherapy dose and fatigue. A longitudinal and observational study was conducted involving 20 women. Pulmonary function was evaluated by digital lung spirometry (ClementClarke®) and manometry (GlobalMed®, model MVD 300) and fatigue was analyses by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Fatigue (FACT-F). All evaluations were conducted before the first RT session and up to one week after this treatment. Statistical analyses were conducted by the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test and Spearman, considering p<0.05. There was significant reduction at spirometry parameters: forced vital capacity (23.52%), forced expiratory volume in the first second (26.23%), peak expiratory flow (10.12%) (p=0.001). Maximal expiratory pressure (25.45%) and maximal inspiratory pressure (32.92%) also showed significant reduction at manometry. There was a significant reduction on physical well-being and functional well-being and a significant increase in fatigue evaluated by the FACT-F (p=0.001). There was no correlation between pulmonary function, radiation dose and fatigue. Short-term effects of radiotherapy showed reduction of pulmonary function, but the values were considered similar to normal. There was a significant increase in fatigue, and significant decrease of physical well-being and functional well-being.
breast neoplasms; radiotherapy; respiratory function tests; radiation effects; fatigue; physical therapy
