title: Yoga for cancer patients and survivors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years to improve physical and emotional well-being. Empirical research on yoga has been ongoing for several decades, including several recent studies conducted with cancer patients and survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  This review provides a general introduction to yoga and a detailed review of yoga research in cancer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine studies conducted with cancer patients and survivors yielded modest improvements in sleep quality, mood, stress, cancer-related distress, cancer-related symptoms, and overall quality of life. Studies conducted in other patient populations and healthy individuals have shown beneficial effects on psychological and somatic symptoms, as well as other aspects of physical function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results from the emerging literature on yoga and cancer provide preliminary support for the feasibility and efficacy of yoga interventions for cancer patients, although controlled trials are lacking. Further research is required to determine the reliability of these effects and to identify their underlying mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, University of California, Los Angeles 90095-7076, USA. jbower@ucla.edu
authors.forename: Julienne E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Bower
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Woolery
authors.forename: Beth
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sternlieb
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Garet
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012890:Sleep; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D017741:Survivors; D015013:Yoga