Background and aimDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, an Internet-Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (iMBSR) program was delivered and may be better than an in-person approach. Our study evaluated the effects of iMBSR intervention on mental health, self-efficacy, and body image in women with breast cancer in Taiwan.Materials and methodsSixty-seven women with breast cancer were allocated to a 6-week iMBSR (n = 41) program or a waitlist control group (n = 26), without heterogeneity between group characteristics. Patients from both groups were measured at baseline and postintervention using three scales: Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), General self-efficacy scale, and Body Image Scale. Descriptive dataset analysis, paired t-test, and Student’s t-test were used to evaluate the data.ResultsAlthough iMBSR did not significantly improve depression and stress between groups, iMBSR could improve anxiety (Δmean: −2.0 vs. −0.4, p = 0.041) with medium effect sizes. Significant benefits were found for body image (Δmean: −3.6 vs. 0.9, p = 0.003) and self-efficacy (Δmean: 4.2 vs. 1.5, p = 0.004), with large effect sizes (Cohen’s d = 0.73).ConclusionOur preliminary study supports iMBSR as a program that can improve mental health, body image, and self-efficacy in women with breast cancer. During the COVID-19 pandemic, medical professionals can use Internet-based clinical health education.

Background Acute, catastrophic bleeding in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) is challenging and also a burden for their families and frontline physicians. This study analyzed the risk factors for rebleeding and long-term outcomes in these patients with HNC. Methods Patients who presented to the emergency department (ED) with HNC bleeding were enrolled in this study (N = 231). Variables of patients with or without rebleeding were compared, and associated factors were investigated using Cox’s proportional hazard model. Results Of the 231 patients enrolled, 112 (48.5%) experienced a recurrent bleeding event. The cumulative rebleeding incidence rate was 23% at 30 days, 49% at 180 days, and 56% at 1 year. Multivariate Cox regression analyses demonstrated that overweight-to-obesity (HR = 0.52, 95% CI 0.28–0.98, p = 0.043), laryngeal cancer (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.13, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07–4.23, p = 0.031), chemoradiation (HR = 1.49, 95% CI 1.001–2.94, p = 0.049), and second primary cancer (HR = 1.75, 95% CI 1.13–2.70, p = 0.012) are significant independent predictors of rebleeding, and the prognostic factors for overall survival included underweight (HR = 1.89, 95% CI 1.22–2.93, p = 0.004), heart rate > 110 beats/min (HR = 1.58, 95% CI 1.04–2.39, p = 0.032), chemoradiation (HR = 2.31, 95% CI 1.18–4.52, p = 0.015), and local recurrence (HR = 1.74, 95% CI 1.14–2.67, p = 0.011). Conclusions Overweight-to-obesity is a protective factor, while laryngeal cancer, chemoradiation and a second primary cancer are risk factors for rebleeding in patients with HNC. Our results may assist physicians in risk stratification of patients with HNC bleeding.

Background Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) may have positive physiological and psychological benefits for breast cancer survivors. However, few studies involved a combination of the relevant literatures to confirm the effects. Methods Our study included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs comparing interventions of MBCT and control protocols for alleviation of symptoms among breast cancer survivors. We calculated pooled mean differences (MDs), standardized mean differences (SMDs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) by using random effects models to estimate summary effect sizes. Results Thirteen trials with 20–245 participants were considered in our studies; for the meta-analysis, 11 of these studies were eligible for assessment. The pooled meta-analysis results revealed that at the end of the MBCT intervention, participants’ anxiety (SMD, − 0.70; 95% CI, − 1.26 to − 0.13; I2 = 69%), pain (SMD, − 0.64; 95% CI, − 0.92 to − 0.37; I2 = 0%), and depression (SMD, − 0.65; 95% CI, − 1.14 to − 0.17; I2 = 75%) levels significantly decreased, and their mindfulness (MD, 8.83; 95% CI, 3.88 to 13.78; I2 = 68%) levels significantly increased. Conclusion The MBCT may be associated with improved pain, anxiety, depression, and mindfulness. However, the quantitative analysis pointed to an inconclusive result due to moderate to high levels of heterogeneity among indicator of anxiety, depression, and mindfulness. Future work requires more studies to better elucidate the clinical significance of this possible association. The results suggest that MBCT is highly beneficial as an intervention for patients who have received treatment for breast cancer.