Qigong Boosts Quality of Life for Breast Cancer Patients

Ancient practice used across Asia to support spiritual health and prevent disease dates back more than 4000 years

In the first study of its kind, researchers have discovered that qigong, an ancient mind-body practice, reduces depressive symptoms and improves quality of life in women with breast cancer undergoing radiotherapy.

Even though individual mind-body practices such as meditation and guided imagery appear to reduce aspects of distress and improve quality of life, this study examined qigong in patients actively receiving radiation therapy and included a follow-up period to assess benefits over time.

“We were also particularly interested to see if qigong would benefit patients experiencing depressive symptoms at the start of treatment,” said Lorenzo Cohen, PhD, professor in MD Anderson’s departments of general oncology and behavioral science and director of the Integrative Medicine Program. “It is important for cancer patients to manage stress because it can have a profoundly negative effect on biological systems and inflammatory profiles.”

For the study, which was published in the journal Cancer, Cohen and colleagues enrolled 96 women with stage 1-3 breast cancer from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center in Shanghai, China. A randomized group of 49 women participated in five 40-minute qigong classes each week during their 5- to 6-week course of radiation therapy. These classes were a modified version of Chinese medical qigong consisting of synchronizing one’s breath with various exercises. A waitlist control group comprised of 47 women received the standard of care.

Participants in both groups completed assessments measuring quality-of-life aspects (depressive symptoms, fatigue, sleep disturbances) at the beginning, middle, and end of radiation therapy and then 1 and 3 months post therapy.

Beginning with a mean score of 12.3 at the end of radiation therapy, patients in the qigong group reported a steady decline in depressive symptom scores, with the 3-month postradiation follow-up score coming in at 9.5. No changes were noted in the control group over time. According to Cohen, women reporting high baseline depressive symptoms found qigong particularly beneficial.

The researchers suggest qigong may prevent a delayed symptom burden, or expedite the recovery process, especially for women with elevated depressive symptoms at the start of radiotherapy, since the benefits of qigong were largely observed after treatment concluded.

Source: The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.