title: A self-directed home yoga programme for women with breast cancer during chemotherapy: A feasibility study.
abstract: Recent studies suggest yoga as a promising approach for improving the cognitive function of cancer survivors. We studied whether a self-directed home yoga programme was feasible for patients with breast cancer who were undergoing chemotherapy. Participants' preferences for the type of yoga course and the clinical effects of the programme were also assessed. In this study, 18 women (mean age, 43.9 years) were enrolled (44.7% recruitment rate). Of the participants, 63.6% had stage II cancer and 71.4% received adjuvant chemotherapy. Favourable retention (86%), adherence (94.4%) and acceptability (96.5%) rates were determined. Most (94.4%) of the women practiced the home programme more than twice a week on average. The participants preferred to gradually increase the intensity of the exercises. We only observed improvements in the cognitive aspects of fatigue. No serious adverse events were encountered during the programme. This self-directed home yoga programme was safe and feasible for patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Professor, Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Komatsu
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kaori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yagasaki
authors.affiliation: Head of the Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, St. Luke's International Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamauchi
authors.affiliation: Head of the Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Luke's International Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Teruo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamauchi
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takebayashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D015013:Yoga
keywords: breast cancer; chemotherapy; cognition; quality of life; yoga