Imagery intervention for recovering breast cancer patients: clinical trial of safety and efficacy.
In a phase I National Cancer Institute (NCI)-funded clinical trial, 34 breast cancer survivors, six weeks to one year post-treatment, were recruited to participate in a 6-class, 8-week long imagery stress reduction program entitled "Envision the Rhythms of Life." Patients practiced imagery during and between sessions. Outcomes for quality of life and cortisol rhythm were assessed pre- to post-intervention, in two subsets of survivors (intravenous [IV] chemotherapy, or no IV chemotherapy). Thirty survivors completed the 8-week program. Quality of life outcomes demonstrated statistically and clinically significant outcomes for the functional assessment of cancer therapy-general (FACT-G) global index (p<.001), representing improvements in survivor quality of life related to physical, social/family, emotional, and function well-being. Survivors also improved significantly on the breast cancer (p<.001) and spiritual subscales (p = .008.) Brief symptom inventory (BSI) assessment reported significant improvement for the global index (p<.001) which included the categories of depression, somatization and anxiety. At eight weeks, cortisol rhythm, a biochemical indicator of stress and likelihood of cancer recurrence, produced a trend toward improvement for the fifth time point of the day (p = .18). Likert-based stress scales showed highly significant reductions in stress (p<.0001) with subjects practicing imagery the most producing the best scores. Outcomes suggest the imagery program may significantly improve survivor quality of life and reduce stress.
Freeman
Lyn
L
Mind Matters Research, Anchorage, AK 99507, USA. lfreeman@gci.net
Cohen
Lorenzo
L
Stewart
Mary
M
White
Rebecca
R
Link
Judith
J
Palmer
J Lynn
JL
Welton
Derek
D
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019018:Imagery, Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome