Are mind–body therapies effective for relieving cancer‐related pain in adults? A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract

Objective To assess whether mind–body therapies are effective for relieving cancer‐related pain in adults, since at least one‐third of adults with cancer are affected by moderate or severe pain. Methods We searched for all randomized or quasi‐randomized controlled trials that included adults (≥18 years) with cancer‐related pain who were treated with mind–body therapies (mindfulness, hypnosis, yoga, guided imagery, and progressive muscle relaxation) in MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Science Citation Index, Web of Science, trials registers, and reference lists. The primary outcome was pain intensity. We calculated the standardized mean differences and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and assessed the risk of bias. Results We identified 40 primary studies involving a total of 3569 participants. The meta‐analysis included 24 studies (2404 participants) and showed a significant effect of −0.39 (95% CI −0.62 to −0.16) with considerable heterogeneity (I2 = 86.3%, p < 0.001). After we excluded four “outlier” studies in sensitivity analyses, the effect size remained significant but weaker. There was a high risk of bias in all studies, for example, performance bias due to lack of participant blinding. Patients in multiple settings were included but many studies were of low quality. Conclusions Mind–body therapies may be effective in improving cancer pain, but the quality of the evidence is low. There is a need for further high‐quality clinical trials.

Prevention and Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN) with Non-Pharmacological Interventions: Clinical Recommendations from a Systematic Scoping Review and an Expert Consensus Process

“…MBT focus on training the mind–body connection and include modalities as relaxation techniques, meditation, mindfulness-based therapies, body scanning, yoga, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, autogenic training, hypnosis, biofeedback, and cognitive therapies. Existing evidence shows that mind–body therapies are frequently used in oncology and that they have an effect [ 117 ]. Patients use them to improve the quality of life, to strengthen their immune system, to reduce stress, and to stimulate hope.…”

Exploring the Potential of a Meditation-Based Liver Cancer Classification Signature for Adjunctive Therapy

“…There is also increasing popularity in the use of pharmacological and alternative interventions, such as mindfulness meditation, for the treatment of functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPDs) in children. At the same time, a signi cant body of research suggests that mindfulness meditation and yoga have shown great success in reducing psychological stress and depression [19][20][21][22] .In addition, there is also research indicating that mindfulness meditation and yoga play a role in reducing pain for cancer patients, although the effects are relatively modest 23 .…”

Effects of progressive muscle relaxation combined with head-acupoint massage on postoperative symptom clusters in breast cancer patients: a randomized controlled trial

“…Particularly for women with early breast cancer, massage might show stimulating effect to their immune systems and neuroendocrine by increasing the serum levels of dopamine, serotonin, number of natural killer (NK) cells and lymphocytes, as well as relieving their levels of anxiety, depression, fear and anger [30]. The positive effect of PMR on pain management might has to do with the change in subjective pain perception and the clinically meaningful improvements in cognitive or affective processes [31]. Further researches are warranted to further clarify the exact mechanisms of PMR on physical and mental health status of patients with cancers.…”