Contemplative self healing in women breast cancer survivors: a pilot study in underserved minority women shows improvement in quality of life and reduced stress

Abstract

BackgroundAmong underserved, largely minority women who were breast cancer survivors, this pilot project was designed to evaluate the quality of life outcomes of a 20 week Contemplative Self-Healing Program.MethodsWomen previously treated for stage I-III breast cancer were assessed before and after the 20 week program with the FACT-G, FACT-B, FACIT-Spirituality, ECOG, and the Impact of Events Scale. They participated in a 20-week intervention involving guided meditation and cognitive-affective-behavioral learning.ResultsWith an average age of 63, 62% of the participants were African-American or Latino. With an average of 5.4 years since the diagnosis of breast cancer, 72% had an ECOG performance status of 1. 57% were currently working.Their baseline FACT-G was 80.5 ± 15.1, and their baseline Impact of Events Scale was 26.3 ± 18.9. The within-patient improvement on the FACT-G was 4.6 ± 10.9 (p = .01); in parallel the FACT-B improved by 2.8 ± 12.8 points (p = .03). The Impact of Events Scale improved by 6.6 ± 15.5 points (p = .01). There was significant within-patient improvement on both the avoidance scale (3.8 ± 9.2) and on the intrusion scale (2.9 ± 7.9). Patients who attended more sessions and conducted more home practice had greater improvements in quality of life.ConclusionPersons receiving a 20-session contemplative self healing intervention showed improved quality of life, with a clinically and statistically significant increase in the FACT-G. In addition, this population showed a significant reduction in post-traumatic stress symptoms assessed by the Impact of Events Scale.Trial registrationClinical Trials Gov NCT00278837.

The efficacy of interventions to improve psychosocial outcomes following surgical treatment for breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Participant and design characteristics of the 32 studies included in this review are summarized in Table , and outcome and assessment measures are described in detail in Table S3, accessible as supporting information. This review comprised of 32 psychosocial interventions with 8 studies utilizing cognitive behavioral therapy interventions, 7 psychoeducational interventions, 4 support groups, three counseling interventions, 2 mindfulness‐based stress reduction interventions, 2 supportive‐expressive group therapy interventions, 1 psychosexual intervention, one music therapy and progressive muscle relaxation training, and 1 contemplative self‐healing intervention . The review also included 2 studies that combined psychoeducational interventions and peer and social support interventions and 1 intervention that combined cognitive behavioral therapy, social support, and psychoeducational elements .…”

“…Seven studies acknowledged limited generalizability from small sample sizes (n < 50) and hence were underpowered to evaluate changes in the multiple outcomes that were measured. 25,36,38,40,46,47,49 Notably, studies with low statistical power have a reduced chance of detecting a true effect. 56…”

Massage therapy alone and in combination with meditation for breast cancer patients undergoing autologous tissue reconstruction: A randomized pilot study

“…Massage therapy has been used successfully in breast cancer patients during the postoperative period, decreasing pain, anxiety, tension, and fatigue [1,2]. Guided meditation has been shown to be helpful during the healing process by fostering relaxation, realization, contemplation, and reflection [21,22].…”

Yoga into Cancer Care

“…After examination of the titles and the abstracts, 138 studies met the inclusion criteria - 28 single armed trials [Table 1][32333435363738394041424344454647484950515253545556575859] and 110 randomized and nonrandomized controlled trials: 18 from 1996 to 2008 [Table 2],[606162636465666768697071727374757677] 34 from 2009 to 2012 [Table 3],[78798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111] and 58 from 2013 to 2016 [Table 4]. [112113114115116117118119…”