Yoga Breathing for Cancer Chemotherapy–Associated Symptoms and Quality of Life: Results of a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background: Many debilitating symptoms arise from cancer and its treatment that are often unrelieved by established methods. Pranayama, a series of yogic breathing techniques, may improve cancer-related symptoms and quality of life, but it has not been studied for this purpose. Objectives: A pilot study was performed to evaluate feasibility and to test the effects of pranayama on cancerassociated symptoms and quality of life. Design: This was a randomized controlled clinical trial comparing pranayama to usual care. Setting: The study was conducted at a university medical center. Subjects: Patients receiving cancer chemotherapy were randomized to receive pranayama immediately or after a waiting period (control group). Interventions: The pranayama intervention consisted of four breathing techniques taught in weekly classes and practiced at home. The treatment group received pranayama during two consecutive cycles of chemotherapy. The control group received usual care during their first cycle, and received pranayama during their second cycle of chemotherapy. Outcome measures: Feasibility, cancer-associated symptoms (fatigue, sleep disturbance, anxiety, depression, stress), and quality of life were the outcomes. Results: Class attendance was nearly 100% in both groups. Sixteen (16) participants were included in the final intent-to-treat analyses. The repeated-measures analyses demonstrated that any increase in pranayama dose, with dose measured in the number of hours practiced in class or at home, resulted in improved symptom and qualityof-life scores. Several of these associations-sleep disturbance ( p = 0.04), anxiety ( p = 0.04), and mental quality of life ( p = 0.05)-reached or approached statistical significance. Conclusions: Yoga breathing was a feasible intervention among patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy. Pranayama may improve sleep disturbance, anxiety, and mental quality of life. A dose-response relationship was found between pranayama use and improvements in chemotherapy-associated symptoms and quality of life. These findings need to be confirmed in a larger study.

Does yoga decrease cancer-related fatigue in women with breast cancer? Systematic review of randomized controlled trials

“…In 28.57% (n=4) the researchers included a comparison group where participants performed whether stretching exercises, conventional physical exercisesor resistance bands exercises. 17,19,21,25 In 50% of the studies there were no statistically significant differences between experimental and control groups. Table 2 shows methodological quality assessment using the PEDro scale.…”

“…Three of the studies (21.43 %) did not specify the type of yoga while in two cases (14.28 %) the experimental group focused only on breathing exercises or pranayama. [17][18][19][20][21] In the remaining three studies the yoga styles employed were Vyasa yoga, Anusara yoga23 and restorative yoga. [22][23][24] In most of the randomized controlled trials included in this review (71.43%, n=10) yoga was compared to a control group in which participants did not perform any exercise (i.e., waitlists or conventional health care).…”

“…Out of the total of 255 initial records, 14 randomized controlled trials were included for review. [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]28 The list of excluded documents (n = 143), together with the exclusion reasons for each, can be found in Annex 1. 28.57 % (n = 4) they were receiving radiotherapy and in 21.43 % (n = 3) of cases they were under chemotherapy.…”

Commentary on the Non-Pharmacological Treatment of Restless Legs Syndrome

“…Yoga reduced selfreported memory difficulty in cancer survivors in a randomized clinical trial of over 300 participants [4]. The practice of Pranayama, a series of yogic breathing techniques was found to benefit chemotherapyassociated symptoms and sleep in a group of patients [5].…”

Functional Correlation between Breathing and Emotional States

“…A study conducted on 16 age-matched cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, shows the beneficial effect of four pranayama breathing techniques on cancer related emotional symptoms [11]. Simple breathing techniques feasible to be practiced in class and at home by cancer patients is used in this study.…”