title: Exploratory outcome assessment of Qigong/Tai Chi Easy on breast cancer survivors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Breast cancer survivors (BCSs) experience symptoms affecting overall quality of life (QOL), often for a prolonged period post-treatment. Meditative Movement (MM), including Qigong and Tai Chi Easy (QG/TCE), has demonstrated benefit for improving QOL issues such as fatigue and sleep, but there is limited evidence of its impact on cognitive function, overall physical activity, and body weight for BCSs.
  
  
  METHODS
  This double-blind, randomized controlled pilot study with 87 female BCSs explored effects of QG/TCE on mental and physical QOL (Medical Outcomes Survey, Short Form), cognitive function (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function and two cognitive performance tests from the WAIS III), overall levels of physical activity (PA)(Brief Physical Activity Questionnaire) and body mass index (BMI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve weekly sessions of QG/TCE were compared to sham Qigong (SQG), a gentle movement control intervention similar to QG/TCE but without the focus on breathing and meditative state.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both groups demonstrated pre-to-post-intervention improvements in physical and mental health, level of PA, self-reported cognitive function, and cognitive performance tests, though without significant differences between QG/TCE and SQG. For a subset of women enrolled later in the study, a significant reduction in BMI [-0.66 (p=0.048)] was found for QG/TCE compared to SQG.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Practices that include gentle movement (such as QG/TCE or our sham protocol) among women with a history of breast cancer may improve many facets of the cancer experience, including QOL, cognitive function, and PA patterns. Practicing QG/TCE may show some advantage for BMI reduction compared to non-meditative gentle exercise.
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State University, 500 N. 3rd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004, United States. Electronic address: Linda.larkey@asu.edu.
authors.forename: Linda K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Larkey
authors.affiliation: Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, The University of Arizona, 1515 N. Campbell Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85724-5024, United States.
authors.forename: Denise J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Roe
authors.affiliation: Exercise Science and Health Promotion, Arizona State University, 500 N. 3rd Street, Phoenix AZ 85004, United States.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Women's Health Internal Medicine and Integrative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 13737 N. 92nd Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85260, United States.
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Millstine
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods; D064906:Qigong / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D026302:Tai Ji / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Body mass index; Breast cancer; Cancer survivorship; Integrative oncology; Meditative movement; Qigong