Comparative efficacy of mind‐body exercise for depression in breast cancer survivors: A systematic review and network meta‐analysis

Abstract

BackgroundAs pharmacotherapy often leads to adverse reactions, mind–body exercise (MBE) treatments have become a more popular option for treating depression in people living with breast cancer (BC). However, the most effective type of MBE treatment for this population remains unclear.AimsThe aim of this systematic review and network meta‐analysis (NMA) was to compare the efficacy of the different MBE modes for depression in people with BC.MethodsA systematic search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from inception to March 25, 2023, was conducted in the following database: EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, China Biology Medicine, OpenGrey, and ClinicalTrials.gov. A traditional meta‐analysis was conducted using the random‐effects model to directly assess the effectiveness of various MBE interventions. Stata 16.0 software was used for performing the NMA.ResultsThe NMA was performed in 32 eligible RCTs including 2361 participants. The efficacy of MBE treatments on depression was ranked as the following: Liuzijue (surface under the cumulative ranking curve [SUCRA] = 95.4%) > Tai chi (SUCRA = 76.9%) > yoga (SUCRA = 55.0%) > Baduanjin (SUCRA = 53.9%) > Pilates (SUCRA = 38.6%) > dance (SUCRA = 30.2%) > Qigong (SUCRA = 28.1%) > control (SUCRA = 21.9%).Linking Evidence to ActionOur research showed that Liuzijue and Tai chi might be the most significantly effective MBE intervention for mitigating depression among BC survivors. Healthcare professionals could consider recommending Liuzijue and Tai Chi as a complementary therapy for BC survivors who experience depression.

Managing depression with complementary and alternative medicine therapies: a scientometric analysis and visualization of research activities

“…Geng et al compared the effects of several mind–body exercises on depression among breast cancer survivors (another hotspot identified in this study) using the network meta-analysis. They reported that yoga was more effective than Baduanjin, Pilates, dance, and Qigong ( 68 ). There are also several systematic reviews and meta-analyses on acupuncture, indicating that acupuncture might have some benefits in ameliorating depression, either being used alone or being used in combination with conventional treatments ( 69–71 ).…”

Exercise as a Promising Agent against Cancer: Evaluating Its Anti-Cancer Molecular Mechanisms

“…Notably, there are some review articles that have summarized the potential beneficial effects of exercise on quality of life, depression, cancer-related cognitive impairment, functionality status, chronic pain, cancer-related fatigue, radiotherapy-related dysphagia, psycho-emotional status, cancer cachexia, sarcopenia, chemotherapy toxicity, bone health, and sleep disturbances [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]. However, only a few outdated review articles have focused on the anti-cancer molecular mechanisms of exercise.…”