title: Levels of fatigue and distress in senior prostate cancer survivors enrolled in a 12-week randomized controlled trial of Qigong.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fatigue is a commonly reported symptom by prostate cancer survivors and is associated with significant distress and declines in quality of life. Qigong is a mind-body activity that consists of both physical activity and meditative aspects. This 12-week randomized controlled trial examined the feasibility and efficacy of a Qigong intervention for improving older prostate cancer survivors' levels of fatigue and distress.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty older (median age = 72, range = 58-93), fatigued (cut-off value of ≥ 1 on the CTCAEv4.0, >20 on a fatigue grading scale), and sedentary (<150 min of moderate exercise/week) prostate cancer survivors were randomized to 12 weeks of Qigong or stretching classes. Primary outcomes were feasibility (i.e., retention and class attendance rates) and fatigue [Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-Fatigue)], and secondary outcome was distress [Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18)].
  
  
  RESULTS
  Study retention rates did not significantly differ between study groups (Qigong = 80 %, stretching = 65 %, p = 0.48). The Qigong group had significantly higher class attendance than the stretching group (p = 0.04). The Qigong group had significantly greater improvements in the FACIT-Fatigue (p = 0.02) and distress (i.e., BSI-18 Somatization, Anxiety, & Global Severity Index, p's < 0.05), than the Stretching group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This 12-week Qigong intervention was feasible and potentially efficacious in improving senior prostate cancer survivors' levels of fatigue and distress levels. Future, larger definitive randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these benefits in older prostate cancer survivors and in racially and ethnically diverse populations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Qigong may be an effective nonpharmacological intervention for the management of senior prostate cancer survivors' fatigue and distress.
authors.affiliation: Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA, rebecca_campo@med.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Rebecca A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Campo
authors.forename: Neeraj
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: Paul C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: LaStayo
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pappas
authors.forename: Kenneth M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Boucher
authors.forename: Jerry
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.forename: Sierra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Kathleen C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Light
authors.forename: Anita Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Kinney
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D052580:Muscle Stretching Exercises; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D064906:Qigong; D011788:Quality of Life; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D014589:Utah / Q000453:epidemiology