Meditative and mind-body practice among patients with genitourinary malignancy

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Integrative Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Meditative and mind-body (MB) practices are increasingly recognized for their utility in managing cancer survivorship stressors.
• Limited data exists on the utilization of these practices among genitourinary (GU) cancer survivors.
• This study addresses the gap in understanding MB and meditative practice use within the GU cancer survivor population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the utilization of meditative and mind-body (MB) practices among genitourinary (GU) cancer survivors.
• To compare the prevalence of these practices between 2012 and 2017.
• To explore variations in utilization across different cancer types within the GU cohort.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from the 2012 and 2017 National Health Interview Survey.
• Inclusion of patients aged 40 and older with a history of any cancer diagnosis, including three GU cancers.
• Use of Complex Samples Logistic regression to compare cancer status and practice utilization.

Main Results:

• Self-reported meditative practice prevalence increased significantly from 5% in 2012 to 17% in 2017.
• Cancer survivors were significantly more likely to use meditative practices compared to non-cancer patients.
• Kidney cancer survivors showed higher meditation and MB utilization, while bladder cancer survivors showed lower utilization.

Conclusions:

• Meditative and MB practices saw increased prevalence between 2012 and 2017, with significant variation among cancer types.
• The observed heterogeneity suggests a need for tailored approaches in survivorship programs.
• Further research is warranted to understand the significance of this heterogeneity and the specific benefits for urologic malignancy patients.