Mind-Body Practices Reduce Cancer-Related Symptoms and Improve Patients’ Mental Health
Patients with cancer who participate in virtual mind-body classes are less likely to be hospitalized and are hospitalized for shorter durations, researchers reported (https://meetings.asco.org/2023-asco-quality-care-symposium/15514?presentation=227485#227485) at the 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology Quality Care Symposium. Their findings (https://meetings.asco.org/2023-asco-quality-care-symposium/15514?presentation=227485#227485) highlight the benefits of mind-body practices in reducing symptoms and improving mental health in patients with cancer.
Researchers randomized 200 participants with a variety of cancers and undergoing active treatment to participate one of two 12-week programs: Integrative Medicine at Home (IM@Home) involved the patient’s choice of a variety of virtual mind-body and fitness classes conducted live, and the enhanced usual care option (control) involved the standard of care and access to prerecorded meditation classes.
The researchers found (https://meetings.asco.org/2023-asco-quality-care-symposium/15514?presentation=227485#227485) that IM@Home participants were less likely to be hospitalized (5%) than those in the control group (14%) during the study period. On average, duration of hospitalizations in the intervention group (5.4 days) was also shorter than in the standard care group (9.4 days). Additionally, IM@home participants had fewer urgent care visits and reported reduced physical symptoms, including fatigue, depression, and anxiety.
“This trial demonstrates that a virtual mind-body fitness program can be delivered successfully in the cancer care setting,” the researchers concluded (https://www.cancer.gov/news-events/cancer-currents-blog/2023/mind-body-fitness-cancer-side-effects), and that the virtual classes reduced close contacts for immunocompromised patients but maintained some social interactions. They said that they are planning future studies to explore mind-body practices in patients with cancer and their effect on treatment adherence and outcomes.
ONS’s symptom interventions and guidelines recommend mind-body practices such as mindfulness-based stress reduction and yoga for anxiety (https://www.ons.org/pep/anxiety?display=pepnavigator&sort_by=created&items_per_page=50), depression (https://www.ons.org/pep/depression?display=pepnavigator&sort_by=created&items_per_page=50), and fatigue (https://www.ons.org/pep/fatigue?display=pepnavigator&sort_by=created&items_per_page=50). Learn more about mind-body practices and other integrative therapies on the Oncology Nursing Podcast (https://www.ons.org/podcasts/episode-146-mind-body-therapies-help-patients-cancer-manage-symptoms) and ONS Voice (https://voice.ons.org/clinical-practice/guidelines-define-the-role-of-integrative-oncology-care-for-managing-anxiety-and).