Yoga Lowers Stress Hormones In Breast Cancer Patients, Study

Breast cancer patients who practiced yoga not only had general better health and regulation of cortisol levels but were also more able to find meaning in their illness, a study reports.

AsianScientist (Mar. 14, 2014) – For women with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy, yoga offers unique benefits beyond fighting fatigue, according to a study. The research was conducted in collaboration with India’s largest yoga research institution, Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana in Bangalore, India.

In the study, 191 women with breast cancer (stage 0-3) were randomized to one of three groups: 1) yoga; 2) simple stretching; or 3) no instruction in yoga or stretching. Participants were then asked to report on their quality of life, including levels of fatigue and depression, their daily functioning and a measure assessing ability to find meaning in the illness experience. Saliva samples were collected and electrocardiogram tests were administered at baseline, end of treatment, and at one, three and six months post-treatment.

Women who practiced yoga had the steepest decline in their cortisol levels across the day, indicating that yoga had the ability to help regulate this stress hormone. This is particularly important because higher stress hormone levels throughout the day, known as a blunted circadian cortisol rhythm, have been linked to worse outcomes in breast cancer.

Additionally, after completing radiation treatment, only the women in the yoga and stretching groups reported a reduction in fatigue. At one, three and six months after radiation therapy, women who practiced yoga during the treatment period reported greater benefits to physical functioning and general health. They were more likely to find life meaning from their cancer experience than the other groups.

According to Cohen, research shows that developing a yoga practice also helps patients after completing cancer treatment.

“The transition from active therapy back to everyday life can be very stressful as patients no longer receive the same level of medical care and attention. Teaching patients a mind-body technique like yoga as a coping skill can make the transition less difficult.”

Through a grant from the National Cancer Institute, Cohen and his team are now conducting a Phase III clinical trial in women with breast cancer to further determine the mechanisms of yoga that lead to improvement in physical functioning, quality of life and biological outcomes during and after radiation treatment. A secondary aim of the trial, but one of great importance, stressed Cohen, is assessing cost efficiency analysis for the hospital, health care usage costs in general and examining work productivity of patients.

The article can be found at: Chandwani et al. (2014) Randomized, Controlled Trial of Yoga in Women With Breast Cancer Undergoing Radiotherapy.

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Source: MD Anderson Cancer Center; Photo: www.adamshomestaycochin.com/Flickr/CC.

Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.

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