Mind-Body Therapies in Cancer: What Is the Latest Evidence?
Author: Carlson LE1,2, Zelinski E3, Toivonen K4, Flynn M4, Qureshi M4, Piedalue KA4, Grant R5
Affiliation:
1Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Holy Cross Site, 2202 2nd St SW, Calgary, AB, T2S 3C1, Canada. lcarlso@ucalgary.ca.
2Department of Oncology, University of Calgary, Holy Cross Site, 2202 2nd St SW, Calgary, AB, T2S 3C1, Canada. lcarlso@ucalgary.ca.
3Department of Oncology, University of Calgary, Holy Cross Site, 2202 2nd St SW, Calgary, AB, T2S 3C1, Canada.
4Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada.
5Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada.
Conference/Journal: Curr Oncol Rep.
Date published: 2017 Aug 18
Other:
Volume ID: 19 , Issue ID: 10 , Pages: 67 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1007/s11912-017-0626-1. , Word Count: 190
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Many people living with cancer use complementary therapies, and some of the most popular are mind-body therapies (MBTs), including relaxation and imagery, hypnosis, yoga, meditation, tai chi and qigong, and art therapies. The efficacy of these modalities was reviewed by assessing recent findings in the context of cancer care.
RECENT FINDINGS: These therapies show efficacy in treating common cancer-related side effects, including nausea and vomiting, pain, fatigue, anxiety, depressive symptoms and improving overall quality of life. Some also have effects on biomarkers such as immune function and stress hormones. Overall studies lack large sample sizes and active comparison groups. Common issues around clearly defining treatments including standardizing treatment components, dose, intensity, duration and training of providers make generalization across studies difficult. MBTs in cancer care show great promise and evidence of efficacy for treating many common symptoms. Future studies should investigate more diverse cancer populations using standardized treatment protocols and directly compare various MBTs to one another.
KEYWORDS: Anxiety, depression, quality of life, fatigue, pain; Art therapy; Complementary therapies; Creative therapies; Hypnosis; Imagery; Integrative oncology; Mediation; Qigong; Relaxation; Tai chi; Yoga
PMID: 28822063 DOI: 10.1007/s11912-017-0626-1
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