title: Fatigue in breast cancer survivors: the impact of a mind-body medicine intervention.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate a mind-body medicine (MBM) program for its impact on persistent fatigue following breast cancer treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quasiexperimental.
  
  
  METHODS
  An urban community hospital and a health department in a semirural county, both in Maryland.
  
  
  METHODS
  68 breast cancer survivors who were at least six months postadjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy and had a baseline fatigue score of 50 or lower per the vitality subscale of the SF-36® Health Survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 10-week group-based MBM program for breast cancer survivors with persistent fatigue was evaluated using a pretest/post-test study design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sustained change in fatigue severity as measured by the Piper Fatigue Scale (PFS), SF-36 vitality subscale, and 10 cm visual analog scale (VAS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants were 2.6 years post-treatment, with a mean age of 56.8 years. Overall, fatigue scores improved by 40%. The mean PFS improved from a score of 6 (SD = 1.6) at baseline to 4.2 (SD = 2) at the end of the program (p < 0.001), with additional improvement at two months and sustained at six months (X = 3.6, SD = 2, p < 0.001). Results from the SF-36 and VAS also showed significant improvement in fatigue (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings support the use of a holistic MBM intervention to reduce persistent fatigue in breast cancer survivors. Results should be confirmed with a randomized clinical trial.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nurses and other healthcare team members can effectively impact persistent fatigue in breast cancer survivors through the use of a multipronged MBM program.
authors.affiliation: Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA. sappling@mdmercy.com
authors.forename: Susan E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Appling
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scarvalone
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: MacDonald
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McBeth
authors.forename: Kathy J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Helzlsouer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D018939:Holistic Nursing / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011603:Psychophysiology / Q000379:methods*; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome