Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Provides Psychological Benefit and Restores Immune Function of Women Newly Diagnosed with Breast Cancer: A Randomized Trial with Active Control.
Author: Witek-Janusek L1, Tell D2, Mathews HL3
Affiliation:
1Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, Department of Health Promotion, Loyola University Chicago, Health Science Division, 2160 South First Ave., Maywood, IL 60153, United States. Electronic address: ljanuse@luc.edu.
2Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, Department of Health Promotion, Loyola University Chicago, Health Science Division, 2160 South First Ave., Maywood, IL 60153, United States.
3Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Health Science Division, 2160 South First Ave., Maywood, IL 60153, United States.
Conference/Journal: Brain Behav Immun.
Date published: 2019 Apr 3
Other:
Pages: S0889-1591(18)30547-6 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.04.012. [Epub ahead of print] , Word Count: 293
BACKGROUND: Women newly diagnosed with breast cancer experience psychological distress, accompanied by reduced natural killer cell activity (NKCA) and altered levels of cytokines, which may compromise cancer control. Few studies have evaluated psycho-immune outcomes of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for women newly diagnosed with breast cancer in comparison to an active control condition.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether MBSR benefits psychological, behavioral, and immunological function in women recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Design After confirmation of breast cancer staging, women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer (n=192) were randomized to an 8-week MBSR program or an 8-week active control condition (ACC). The ACC consisted of a series of cancer recovery and health education classes. Both MBSR and the ACC were administered in group format.
METHODS: Women completed psychometric instruments and provided blood for NKCA and cytokine levels at pre-, mid-, and completion of program, as well as at 1- and 6-months post-program. One hundred and twenty four women completed all five-assessments (MBSR, n=63; ACC, n=61). Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyze trajectories of outcomes over time and between groups.
RESULTS: Compared to the ACC group, women randomized to MBSR exhibited decreasing trajectories of perceived stress, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and depressive symptoms. Further, compared to women randomized to ACC, MBSR women exhibited trajectories demonstrating significantly more rapid restoration of NKCA, accompanied by lower circulating TNF-alpha levels, lower IL-6 production, and greater IFN-gamma production.
CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate early provision of MBSR for women newly diagnosed with breast cancer provides not only psychological benefit, but also optimizes immune function supportive of cancer control.
Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc.
KEYWORDS: Active Control Condition; Breast Cancer; Depression; Immune; Mindfulness; Natural Killer Cell Activity; Proinflammatory Cytokines; Sleep, Fatigue; Stress
PMID: 30953776 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.04.012
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