Effects of a Mind-Body Medicine Group Program for Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Recent advancements in oncology have significantly improved cancer treatment outcomes and patient survival rates. Nonetheless, the therapeutic effects of cancer treatment often impair the patients' quality of life (QoL). The most common symptoms include fatigue, pain, sleep disturbances, depression, and anxiety. This study aims to assess the impact of a structured mind-body medicine (MBM) group intervention on these specific symptom domains in patients with cancer.

A cohort of patients with cancer engaged in an 11-week MBM program (6 hours weekly, March 2016-August 2017), combining psycho-oncology, lifestyle medicine, and integrative approaches including mindfulness, nutrition counseling, and movement therapies. Participants' outcomes were evaluated for within-person (pre-post) changes using standardized questionnaires, including the Multidimensional Fatigue Index (MFI), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT-G), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).

Assessments from 113 participants (94.7% female, 58.9% with breast cancer) revealed significant improvements (all P < .001) across all outcome measures. Effect sizes were medium to large: fatigue (Cohen's d = 0.707), stress (d = 0.708), quality of life (d = 0.981), anxiety (d = 0.635), depression (d = 0.526), and sleep quality (d = 0.635). Clinical significance analysis showed that 50% to 70% of participants achieved minimal clinically important differences, with FACT-G showing the highest clinical relevance (70.1% improved ≥5 points). Wild bootstrap regression analysis with multiple testing correction identified baseline sleep quality as the strongest predictor: worse pre-program sleep was associated with greater improvements in depression (β = -.282 [95% CI: -0.467 to -0.099], P = .002) and sleep quality (β = -.432 [95% CI: -0.620 to -0.244], P < .001), surviving Bonferroni correction.).

MBM programs may be a valuable addition to oncology care and they could improve patients' quality of life. Incorporating these programs into standard cancer treatment protocols could provide a more holistic approach that addresses both the physical and psychological facets of cancer therapy.