Video and Article From MD Anderson YouTube Channel.
New study shows yoga can regulate
stress hormones and improve quality of life for women with breast cancer
undergoing radiation therapy.
For women with breast cancer
undergoing radiation therapy, yoga offers unique benefits beyond
fighting fatigue, according to research from The University of Texas MD
Anderson Cancer Center.
The preliminary findings were first
reported in 2011 by Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D., professor and director of the
Integrative Medicine Program at MD Anderson, and are now published in
the Journal of Clinical Oncology. This research is part of an ongoing
effort to scientifically validate mind-body interventions in cancer
patients and was conducted in collaboration with India's largest yoga
research institution, Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana in
Bangalore, India.
http://www.mdanderson.org/education-a...
Researchers
found that while simple stretching exercises counteracted fatigue,
patients who participated in yoga exercises that incorporated controlled
breathing, meditation and relaxation techniques into their treatment
plan experienced improved ability to engage in their daily activities,
better general health and better regulation of cortisol (stress
hormone). Women in the yoga group were also better equipped to find
meaning in the illness experience, which declined over time for the
women in the other two groups.
The study also assessed, for the
first time, yoga benefits in cancer patients by comparing their
experience with patients in an active control group who integrated
simple, generic stretching exercises into their lives.
"Combining
mind and body practices that are part of yoga clearly have tremendous
potential to help patients manage the psychosocial and physical
difficulties associated with treatment and life after cancer, beyond the
benefits of simple stretching," said Cohen.
To conduct the
study, 191 women with breast cancer (stage 0-3) were randomized to one
of three groups: 1) yoga; 2) simple stretching; or 3) no instruction in
yoga or stretching. Participants in the yoga and stretching groups
attended sessions specifically tailored to breast cancer patients for
one-hour, three days a week throughout their six weeks of radiation
treatment.
Participants were asked to report on their quality of
life, including levels of fatigue and depression, their daily
functioning and a measure assessing ability to find meaning in the
illness experience. Saliva samples were collected and electrocardiogram
tests were administered at baseline, end of treatment, and at one, three
and six months post-treatment.
Women who practiced yoga had the
steepest decline in their cortisol levels across the day, indicating
that yoga had the ability to help regulate this stress hormone. This is
particularly important because higher stress hormone levels throughout
the day, known as a blunted circadian cortisol rhythm, have been linked
to worse outcomes in breast cancer.
Additionally, after
completing radiation treatment, only the women in the yoga and
stretching groups reported a reduction in fatigue. At one, three and six
months after radiation therapy, women who practiced yoga during the
treatment period reported greater benefits to physical functioning and
general health. They were more likely to find life meaning from their
cancer experience than the other groups.
According to Cohen, research shows that developing a yoga practice also helps patients after completing cancer treatment.
"The
transition from active therapy back to everyday life can be very
stressful as patients no longer receive the same level of medical care
and attention. Teaching patients a mind-body technique like yoga as a
coping skill can make the transition less difficult."
Through a
grant from the National Cancer Institute, Cohen and his team are now
conducting a Phase III clinical trial in women with breast cancer to
further determine the mechanisms of yoga that lead to improvement in
physical functioning, quality of life and biological outcomes during and
after radiation treatment. A secondary aim of the trial, but one of
great importance, stressed Cohen, is assessing cost efficiency analysis
for the hospital, health care usage costs in general and examining work
productivity of patients.
MD Anderson recognizes the growing
body of research indicating that relaxation-based interventions can
contribute to the well-being of people with cancer. Through the
Integrative Medicine Program, complementary therapies, such as yoga, are
offered at MD Anderson's Integrative Medicine Center, and are used in
concert with mainstream care to manage symptoms, relieve stress, enhance
quality of life and improve outcomes for patients and their caregivers.
About Dawn Bradford Lange: Co-founder of Breast Cancer Yoga. Dawn is making a difference with Breast Cancer Yoga therapeutic
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