Effects of Yoga in Breast Cancer Patients
| Status: | Active, not recruiting |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Breast Cancer, Cancer |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Oncology |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 18 - Any |
| Updated: | 5/5/2018 |
| Start Date: | March 2006 |
| End Date: | March 2021 |
Biobehavioral Effects of Yoga During Breast Cancer Treatment
In this study researchers will examine the initial efficacy of implementing a yoga program
for patients with breast cancer as an adjuvant to their radiotherapy. Patients with breast
cancer who are undergoing radiotherapy will be randomly assigned to either a yoga group (YG),
or a stretching (ST) control group, or a waitlist control (WL) group. Participants in YG and
ST groups will attend three sessions each week throughout their 6-week radiotherapy schedule.
The sessions will be coordinated with the treatment schedule and conducted adjacent to the
treatment facility. Measures will be obtained prior to randomization, a brief assessment
during the middle of radiation therapy, during the last week of radiation therapy, and 1, 3
and 6 months after the last radiation session. With the inclusion of two control groups in
this randomized trial researchers will attempt to validate the benefits of yoga as an
adjuvant to radiotherapy in patients with breast cancer wherein researchers will control for
specific components of the yoga program and also examine some of the mechanisms that are
necessary for the program to be effective.
Our specific aims in the proposed study are to:
- Conduct an initial evaluation of whether participation in the yoga program improves
patients' fatigue and sleep disturbances. Fatigue and sleep will be assessed with
self-report measures and the use of actigraphy for a more objective measure of sleep
quality.
- Secondary end points will include examining QOL, mental health and objective
physiological outcomes (blood samples for immune measures, saliva samples for cortisol
levels, and heart rate variability).
- Exploratory analyses will examine some plausible mediators of the yoga program including
cognitive processing, spirituality, and finding meaning in the cancer experience.
for patients with breast cancer as an adjuvant to their radiotherapy. Patients with breast
cancer who are undergoing radiotherapy will be randomly assigned to either a yoga group (YG),
or a stretching (ST) control group, or a waitlist control (WL) group. Participants in YG and
ST groups will attend three sessions each week throughout their 6-week radiotherapy schedule.
The sessions will be coordinated with the treatment schedule and conducted adjacent to the
treatment facility. Measures will be obtained prior to randomization, a brief assessment
during the middle of radiation therapy, during the last week of radiation therapy, and 1, 3
and 6 months after the last radiation session. With the inclusion of two control groups in
this randomized trial researchers will attempt to validate the benefits of yoga as an
adjuvant to radiotherapy in patients with breast cancer wherein researchers will control for
specific components of the yoga program and also examine some of the mechanisms that are
necessary for the program to be effective.
Our specific aims in the proposed study are to:
- Conduct an initial evaluation of whether participation in the yoga program improves
patients' fatigue and sleep disturbances. Fatigue and sleep will be assessed with
self-report measures and the use of actigraphy for a more objective measure of sleep
quality.
- Secondary end points will include examining QOL, mental health and objective
physiological outcomes (blood samples for immune measures, saliva samples for cortisol
levels, and heart rate variability).
- Exploratory analyses will examine some plausible mediators of the yoga program including
cognitive processing, spirituality, and finding meaning in the cancer experience.
If you choose to take part in this study, you will come to M. D. Anderson for your first
visit. If this is not convenient, a researcher can visit you at your home. At this time, you
will be asked to complete several questionnaires. The questions will ask about your sleeping
habits, how you have been feeling, and your general QOL. This will take about 45-60 minutes
to complete. Researchers, will then ask you to complete a daily sleep diary for the next 7
days. During this time, you will be given an actigraph watch to wear that will collect data
about your day-time activity and sleeping habits. The watch should be worn 24 hours a day for
7 days a week. You will have an electrocardiogram (ECG - a test to measure the electrical
activity of your heart) and your breathing rate will be measured.
After your first visit to M. D. Anderson or after a researcher has visited you at home, you
will be randomly assigned (as in the toss of a coin) to one of 3 groups.
Participants in the first group will take part in a yoga program. If you are assigned to the
yoga group, you will take part in 3 sessions of yoga each week for 6 weeks. You may take part
in the yoga sessions any 3 days of the week. Each yoga session will last around 60 minutes.
During the yoga sessions, you will also be asked to do breathing exercises and to perform
different movements and meditation. None of the movements are difficult. You will be able to
follow this program at your own pace.
Participants in the second group will take part in a stretching program. If you are assigned
to the stretching group, you will take part in 3 sessions of stretching each week for 6
weeks. You may take part in the stretching sessions any 3 days of the week. Each stretching
session will last around 60 minutes. During these stretching sessions you will be asked to do
simple stretching exercises. None of the movements are difficult. You will be able to follow
this program at your own pace.
Beginning with the second week, participants in the first and second groups will be asked to
complete a brief questionnaire, about the yoga or stretching program, before the first class
each week. The questionnaire will take about 1 to 2 minutes to complete. You will also have
an ECG and your breathing rate will be measured before and after one of the classes during
the third or fourth week and again during the last week. Each stretching and yoga session
will be audio and video taped for the purpose of quality control.
Participants in the third group will not take part in the yoga or stretching program during
this study. However, if you are assigned to this group, you will be given the option of
participating in the yoga or stretching program after the study has ended. This will be after
you have finished your last assessment.
All participants will complete a brief questionnaire during the middle of radiotherapy. The
questionnaire will evaluate your treatment-related symptoms and will take about 15 minutes to
complete.
During the last week of radiotherapy, and at 1, 3, and 6 months after the end of radiation
treatment, all participants will be asked to fill out a packet of questionnaires (similar to
those taken at the first visit). It should take about 45 minutes to complete all of the
questionnaires. If it is not convenient for you to come to M. D. Anderson, a researcher can
visit you at home to help with the questionnaires. You will then be asked to complete another
daily sleep diary for another 7 days. During this time, you will wear an actigraph watch 24
hours a day for 7 days a week to collect the same data as before. During this time, you will
have an ECG and your breathing rate will be measured.
All participants will be asked to refrain from participating in any other yoga classes for
the duration of the study.
Your participation in this study will be over after your 6-month assessment.
This is an investigational study. Up to 180 patients will take part in this study. All will
be enrolled at M. D. Anderson.
visit. If this is not convenient, a researcher can visit you at your home. At this time, you
will be asked to complete several questionnaires. The questions will ask about your sleeping
habits, how you have been feeling, and your general QOL. This will take about 45-60 minutes
to complete. Researchers, will then ask you to complete a daily sleep diary for the next 7
days. During this time, you will be given an actigraph watch to wear that will collect data
about your day-time activity and sleeping habits. The watch should be worn 24 hours a day for
7 days a week. You will have an electrocardiogram (ECG - a test to measure the electrical
activity of your heart) and your breathing rate will be measured.
After your first visit to M. D. Anderson or after a researcher has visited you at home, you
will be randomly assigned (as in the toss of a coin) to one of 3 groups.
Participants in the first group will take part in a yoga program. If you are assigned to the
yoga group, you will take part in 3 sessions of yoga each week for 6 weeks. You may take part
in the yoga sessions any 3 days of the week. Each yoga session will last around 60 minutes.
During the yoga sessions, you will also be asked to do breathing exercises and to perform
different movements and meditation. None of the movements are difficult. You will be able to
follow this program at your own pace.
Participants in the second group will take part in a stretching program. If you are assigned
to the stretching group, you will take part in 3 sessions of stretching each week for 6
weeks. You may take part in the stretching sessions any 3 days of the week. Each stretching
session will last around 60 minutes. During these stretching sessions you will be asked to do
simple stretching exercises. None of the movements are difficult. You will be able to follow
this program at your own pace.
Beginning with the second week, participants in the first and second groups will be asked to
complete a brief questionnaire, about the yoga or stretching program, before the first class
each week. The questionnaire will take about 1 to 2 minutes to complete. You will also have
an ECG and your breathing rate will be measured before and after one of the classes during
the third or fourth week and again during the last week. Each stretching and yoga session
will be audio and video taped for the purpose of quality control.
Participants in the third group will not take part in the yoga or stretching program during
this study. However, if you are assigned to this group, you will be given the option of
participating in the yoga or stretching program after the study has ended. This will be after
you have finished your last assessment.
All participants will complete a brief questionnaire during the middle of radiotherapy. The
questionnaire will evaluate your treatment-related symptoms and will take about 15 minutes to
complete.
During the last week of radiotherapy, and at 1, 3, and 6 months after the end of radiation
treatment, all participants will be asked to fill out a packet of questionnaires (similar to
those taken at the first visit). It should take about 45 minutes to complete all of the
questionnaires. If it is not convenient for you to come to M. D. Anderson, a researcher can
visit you at home to help with the questionnaires. You will then be asked to complete another
daily sleep diary for another 7 days. During this time, you will wear an actigraph watch 24
hours a day for 7 days a week to collect the same data as before. During this time, you will
have an ECG and your breathing rate will be measured.
All participants will be asked to refrain from participating in any other yoga classes for
the duration of the study.
Your participation in this study will be over after your 6-month assessment.
This is an investigational study. Up to 180 patients will take part in this study. All will
be enrolled at M. D. Anderson.
Inclusion Criteria:
1. Women with Stage 0 - III breast cancer, undergoing daily adjuvant radiation for 6
weeks in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the M. D. Anderson
2. The participants will need to be 18 years of age or older.
3. Patients should be able to read, write, and speak English or Spanish.
Exclusion Criteria:
1. Patients who have a documented diagnosis of a formal thought disorder (e.g.,
schizophrenia) will be excluded from the study.
2. Patients with metastatic disease of the bone will be excluded to avoid any bone
fractures that may result from yoga movements.
3. Patients with active/non-canalized deep vein thrombosis will be excluded from the
study.
4. Patients who have not undergone any surgical treatment for their cancer will be
excluded to ensure a more homogeneous sample.
5. Patients with extreme mobility issues (e.g., unable to get in and out of a chair
unassisted) will be excluded.
6. Patients who have practiced yoga or taken yoga classes in the year prior to diagnosis
will be excluded.
7. Patients diagnosed with lymphedema at baseline will be excluded.
We found this trial at
1
site
1515 Holcombe Blvd
Houston, Texas 77030
Houston, Texas 77030
713-792-2121
University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center The mission of The University of Texas MD...
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