Yoga Improves Quality
of Life For Radiation Therapy Patients - Exercise Program Planned for
Breast Cancer Chemotherapy - Study
June 5th 2006
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Researchers at the
University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center believe yoga, as part
of a treatment plan for cancer patients, can improve the quality of
life. Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D., associate professor and director of the
Integrative Medicine Program at M. D. Anderson presented their findings
at the 42nd annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
The research
included sixty-one women with breast cancer undergoing radiation. They
were randomized and some took yoga classes twice weekly at or around the
time of their radiation therapy appointments. They created a control
group that was to be offered yoga post-treatment. The patients ranged
from Stage 0 to Stage 3.
The researchers
found that after just one week of yoga and radiation, the patients
reported increased physical function, as well as general health,
compared to the control group. Also, this group reported better social
functioning, significantly lower levels of sleep-related daytime
dysfunction, as well as marginally lower levels of fatigue overall.
There was no difference in depression or anxiety levels between the two
groups.
Cohen said "Cancer
and its treatments are associated with considerable distress, impaired
quality of life and reduced physical function. This is particularly true
for women with breast cancer who receive multi-modality treatment over
an extended period of time. With our studies, we think that we could
help ameliorate the treatment-related side effects that accumulate in
cancer patients over time.
Kavita Chandwani,
M.D., the yoga instructor for the trial said, "It was gratifying to see
that we could make a clinically significant difference in these quality
of life of these women in such a brief program. Whether it's yoga or
some other type of mind-body program, we believe this study shows how
beneficial it is to participate throughout treatment to help with
quality of life-based issues."
It has been a long
held belief that there is a relationship between the mind and body. The
MD Anderson team has now received a $2.4 million grant from the National
Cancer Institute to study the effects of Tibetan yoga in women with
breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy.
Dan Wilson
Best Syndication
Books on Cancer
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