UMass Chan Medical School Faculty Publications

Title

A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction for women with early-stage breast cancer receiving radiotherapy

UMMS Affiliation

Department of Medicine, Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine

Publication Date

2013-9

Document Type

Article

Subjects

Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Aged; Breast Neoplasms; Combined Modality Therapy; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Mindfulness; Neoplasm Staging; Nutrition Therapy; Patient Education as Topic; Radiotherapy; Stress, Psychological; Young Adult

Disciplines

Alternative and Complementary Medicine | Neoplasms | Therapeutics | Women's Health

Abstract

PURPOSE: To testthe relative effectiveness of a mindfulness-based stress reduction program (MBSR) compared with a nutrition education intervention (NEP) and usual care (UC) in women with newly diagnosed early-stage breast cancer (BrCA)undergoing radiotherapy.

METHODS: Datawere available from a randomized controlled trialof 172 women, 20 to 65 years old, with stage I or II BrCA. Data from women completing the 8-week MBSR program plus 3 additional sessions focuses on special needs associated with BrCA were compared to women receiving attention control NEP and UC. Follow-up was performed at 3 post-intervention points: 4 months, and 1 and 2 years. Standardized, validated self-administered questionnaires were used to assess psychosocial variables. Descriptive analyses compared women by randomization assignment. Regression analyses, incorporating both intention-to-treat and post hoc multivariable approaches, were used to control for potential confounding variables.

RESULTS: A subset of 120 women underwent radiotherapy; 77 completed treatment prior to the study, and 40 had radiotherapy during the MBSR intervention. Women who actively received radiotherapy (art) while participating in the MBSR intervention (MBSR-art) experienced a significant (P < .05) improvement in 16 psychosocial variables compared with the NEP-art, UC-art, or both at 4 months. These included health-related, BrCA-specific quality of life and psychosocial coping, which were the primary outcomes, and secondary measures, including meaningfulness, helplessness, cognitive avoidance, depression, paranoid ideation, hostility, anxiety, global severity, anxious preoccupation, and emotional control.

CONCLUSIONS: MBSR appears to facilitate psychosocial adjustment in BrCA patients receiving radiotherapy, suggesting applicability for MBSR as adjunctive therapy in oncological practice.

DOI of Published Version

10.1177/1534735412473640

Source

Integr Cancer Ther. 2013 Sep;12(5):404-13. doi: 10.1177/1534735412473640. Epub 2013 Jan 28. Link to article on publisher's site

Related Resources

Link to Article in PubMed

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Integrative cancer therapies

PubMed ID

23362338

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