Effects of an integrated yoga programme on chemotherapy-induced nausea and emesis in breast cancer patients

Abstract

This study examined the effect of an integrated yoga programme on chemotherapy-related nausea and emesis in early operable breast cancer outpatients. Sixty-two subjects were randomly allocated to receive yoga (n = 28) or supportive therapy intervention (n = 34) during the course of their chemotherapy. Both groups had similar socio-demographic and medical characteristics. Intervention consisted of both supervised and home practice of yoga sessions lasting for 60 min daily, while the control group received supportive therapy and coping preparation during their hospital visits over a complete course of chemotherapy. The primary outcome measure was the Morrow Assessment of Nausea and Emesis (MANE) assessed after the fourth cycle of chemotherapy. Secondary outcomes included measures for anxiety, depression, quality of life, distressful symptoms and treatment-related toxicity assessed before and during the course of chemotherapy. Following yoga, there was a significant decrease in post-chemotherapy-induced nausea frequency (P = 0.01) and nausea intensity (P = 0.01), and intensity of anticipatory nausea (P = 0.01) and anticipatory vomiting (P = 0.05) as compared with the control group. There was a significant positive correlation between MANE scores and anxiety, depression and distressful symptoms. In conclusion, the results suggest a possible use for stress reduction interventions such as yoga in complementing conventional antiemetics to manage chemotherapy-related nausea and emesis.

Yoga Breathing for Cancer Chemotherapy–Associated Symptoms and Quality of Life: Results of a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

“…11,13,16 Several studies have investigated the efficacy of a multimodality yoga intervention, which includes breathing, postures, and/or meditation, in a population of patients with cancer. [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] However, conclusive results are lacking. 30 Many studies have small and mixed samples (i.e., included both patients who were receiving cancer treatment and those post-treatment) and others have methodological limitations leading to challenges in drawing definitive conclusions.…”

Complementary and alternative theraphy methods used in the management of chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting

“…[49] Kanserli hastalar ile ilgili yapılan çalışmalar incelendiğinde daha çok stres, anksiyete, yorgunluk ve depresyon gibi semptomlara yönelik yoganın kullanıldığı görülmektedir. Raghavendra, Nagarathna, Nagendra, Gopinath, Srinath, Ravi, Patil, Ramesh ve Nalini [50] Kemoterapiye bağlı bulantı kusma (KBBK) da, anksiyete, yaşam kalitesi üzerine yoga uygulamasının etkisini belirlemek amacıyla 62 hasta ile yapmış oldukları randomize kontrollü çalışmada, yoganın bulantıyı azalttığı, iyilik hali ve yaşam kalitesini artırdığı bildirilmiştir.…”

Yoga and Health

“…This has been attributed to stress-reduction effects of yoga intervention. 26 Furthermore, yoga has also been shown to improve postoperative outcomes such as duration of hospital stay, facilitate wound healing and reduce number of days of drain retention apart from having potent anxiolytic effects and antidepressant effects. 27,28 Integrated yoga program has also been shown significant decrease in mean salivary cortisol levels at 0600 hrs, pooled diurnal mean cortisol, perceived stress along with significant decrease in anxiety, depression 37 and significant improvement in positive affect, emotional function and cognitive function, and decrease in negative affect, psychological distress, insomnia, fatigue and appetite loss.…”