Qigong improves quality of life in women undergoing radiotherapy for breast cancer: results of a randomized controlled trial.
BACKGROUND
Radiotherapy may lead to side effects that undermine patients' quality of life (QOL). Although mind-body practices like qigong appear to improve QOL in cancer survivors, little is known about their benefits for patients who are receiving radiotherapy. Thus, in the current randomized controlled trial, the authors examined the efficacy of a qigong intervention on QOL in women with breast cancer during and after treatment.


METHODS
Ninety-six women with breast cancer were recruited from a cancer center in Shanghai, China, and were randomized to a qigong group (N = 49) or a waitlist control group (N = 47). Women in the qigong group attended 5 weekly classes over 5 or 6 weeks of radiotherapy. QOL outcomes (ie, depressive symptoms, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and overall QOL) and cortisol slopes were assessed at baseline, during treatment, at the end of treatment, 1 month later, and 3 months later.


RESULTS
The mean age of the women was 46 years (range, 25-64 years). Seven percent of women had stage 0 disease, 25% had stage I disease, 40% had stage II disease, and 28% had stage III disease. Fifty-four percent of women underwent mastectomy. Multilevel analyses revealed that women in the qigong group reported less depressive symptoms over time than women in the control group (P = .05). Women who had elevated depressive symptoms at the start of radiotherapy reported less fatigue (P < .01) and better overall QOL (P < .05) in the qigong group compared with the control group, and these findings were clinically significant. No significant differences were observed for sleep disturbance or cortisol slopes.


CONCLUSIONS
The current results indicated that qigong may have therapeutic effects in the management of QOL among women who are receiving radiotherapy for breast cancer. Benefits were particularly evident for patients who had preintervention elevated levels of depressive symptoms.
Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.
Zhen
Z
Chen
Zhiqiang
Z
Meng
Kathrin
K
Milbury
Wenying
W
Bei
Ying
Y
Zhang
Bob
B
Thornton
Zhongxing
Z
Liao
Qi
Q
Wei
Jiayi
J
Chen
Xiaoma
X
Guo
Luming
L
Liu
Jennifer
J
McQuade
Clemens
C
Kirschbaum
Lorenzo
L
Cohen
D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D001945:Breathing Exercises; D005221:Fatigue / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011788:Quality of Life; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D014850:Waiting Lists
D006854:Hydrocortisone