Scientific evidence

Mindfulness & Cancer

The Mindfulness-Based Cancer Recovery (MBCR) program has been recognized as an effective intervention in the field of cancer care. Research in the field of mindfulness has demonstrated the benefits of MBCR in addressing stress and anxiety and improving quality of life in cancer patients.

More than

scientific articles each year investigating the effects of mindfulness practice.

mindfulness, meditation, mindful breathing & cancer

Abstracts of scientific articles

The aim of this article is to provide a quantitative assessment of the correlation between increased mindfulness and stress reduction among cancer patients and survivors who participated in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) interventions. Using data from eight studies, we conducted quantitative analyses to provide effectiveness scores of MBSR mindfulness interventions, assessed using the Mindfulness Awareness Awareness Scale (MAAS), and stress symptoms, assessed using standardised self-report questionnaires.
In conclusion, MBSR interventions are effective in improving mindfulness and alleviating stress or stress-like symptoms in cancer patients and survivors. This finding suggests a causal relationship between mindfulness and stress reduction, which supports the integration of MBSR as a complementary therapy for cancer management.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/378949185_Effectiveness_of_Mindfulness-Based_Stress_Reduction_MBSR_Interventions_on_Mindfulness_and_Stress_Symptoms_for_Cancer_Patients_A_Quantitative_Assessment

The MBSR mindfulness programme shows a moderate to large positive effect on the mental health of breast cancer patients and warrants further systematic investigation because of its potential to significantly improve the mental health of women in this group. We have found a moderate to large positive effect size of MBSR in reducing perceived stress, depression and anxiety in women with breast cancer. The improvement in general mental health in breast cancer patients after MBSR could stem from a variety of benefits associated with the training. Therefore, MBSR can be recommended to breast cancer patients as an option as part of their rehabilitation to help maintain a better quality of life in the long term.

http://www.h-partners-for-life.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/The-efficacy-of-mindfulness-based-stress-reduction-on-mental-health-of-breast-cancer-patients-a-met.pdf

Sleep disturbance is a very common problem for cancer patients that has largely not been addressed in the clinical intervention literature. Mindfulness meditation has demonstrated clinical benefits for a variety of patient populations in other areas of functioning. This study examined the effects of an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme on sleep quality in a heterogeneous sample of 63 cancer patients. Overall sleep disturbance was significantly reduced (p < .001) and participants reported that their sleep quality had improved (p < .001). There was also a significant reduction in stress (p < .001), mood disturbance (p = .001) and fatigue (p < .001). Associations between these changes and implications for improving the quality of life of cancer patients are discussed.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16262547/

Evidence suggested that mindfulness-based techniques have been effective in increasing psychological well-being. The present meta-analytic study aimed to examine the effects of mindfulness-based programmes on anxiety and depression in cancer patients and survivors. Mindfulness has substantial effects on reducing anxiety and depression in cancer patients and survivors.

https://waocp.com/journal/index.php/apjcc/article/view/686

Sleep impairment, fatigue and anxiety are common conditions in cancer survivors. Small studies suggest that mindfulness-based interventions may be helpful for cancer-related fatigue. Conclusion: MBCR has a high compliance rate and results in sustained improvements in sleep quality, fatigue and anxiety.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306922254_Mindfulness-based_cancer_recovery_in_survivors_recovering_from_chemotherapy_and_radiation

Mindfulness-based therapies (MBT) for cancer patients have been extensively studied over the last two decades, and their efficacy has been systematically reviewed and meta-analysed. Although findings from the literature highlight the benefits of MBTs on health outcomes in several patients, these should be evaluated taking into account the characteristics of the selected studies. In this systematic review, we summarise the current evidence for the efficacy of MBT in improving the quality of life of both cancer patients and their relatives, with a focus on the methodological quality, the type of MBT evaluated and the population involved in existing randomised controlled trials (RCTs).

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359333543_Mindfulness-based_therapies_for_cancer_patients_and_families_a_systematic_review

Work on the development and evaluation of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for cancer care has been ongoing for the past 20 years, and a growing body of literature now supports their efficacy. MBIs are particularly useful for coping with common experiences related to cancer diagnosis, treatment and survivorship, including loss of control, uncertainty about the future and fears of recurrence, as well as a range of physical and psychological symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, insomnia and fatigue. Our adaptation, mindfulness-based cancer recovery (MBCR), has resulted in improvements in a range of psychological and biological outcomes, including cortisol slopes, blood pressure and telomere length, in several groups of cancer survivors.

In this paper, I review the rationale for MBIs in cancer care and provide an overview of the state of the current literature, with a focus on the results of three recent clinical trials conducted by our research group. These include a comparative effectiveness trial comparing MBCR with supportive expressive therapy in distressed breast cancer survivors, a non-inferiority trial comparing MBCR with cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia in cancer survivors with clinical insomnia, and an online adaptation of MBCR for rural and remote cancer survivors without access to in-person groups. I conclude by describing ongoing work and future directions for research and applications of MBI in cancer care.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/297750282_Mindfulness-based_interventions_for_coping_with_cancer

Mindfulness-based objective interventions (MBIs) are increasingly being integrated into cancer treatment to mitigate psychological distress and promote emotional and physical well-being. This review aims to provide the most recent evaluation of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and mindfulness-based cancer recovery (MBCR) treatments for reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety and CRF in oncology populations. Results showed that MBIs have significant mean effects on reducing symptoms of depression (Hedges g = 0.43), anxiety (Hedges g = 0.55) and CRF (Hedges g = 0.43), which were maintained at least three months after the intervention. MBIs were also superior in reducing symptoms of anxiety (Hedges g = 0.56), depression (Hedges g = 0.43), and CRF (Hedges g = 0.42) in oncology samples relative to control groups. The superiority of MBIs over control groups was also maintained at least three months post-intervention for anxiety and CRF symptoms, but not for depressive symptoms. The risk of bias of the included studies was low to moderate. Conclusions This review found that MBIs reduced symptoms of depression, anxiety and CRF in oncology populations.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362018654_The_effects_of_mindfulness-based_interventions_on_symptoms_of_depression_anxiety_and_cancer-related_fatigue_in_oncology_patients_A_systematic_review_and_meta-analysis

Mindfulness-Based Cancer Recovery (MBCR) is an evidence-based group psychosocial programme adapted to a synchronous online “real-time” format. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of participation in online MBCR on patient-reported outcomes in cancer patients. Participants completed questionnaires before and after the online MBCR programme. The intervention consisted of eight weekly 2-hour online classes plus a 6-hour retreat. Mixed-models analyses were conducted for repeated measures and subgroup analyses investigated associations of age, sex and cancer stage on patient-reported outcomes. Standardised subscale change score analyses were conducted for measures of mood and stress symptoms to assess relative improvements over time. Sixty-two distressed participants enrolled. Analyses revealed improvements over time in measures of mood, stress, spirituality, post-traumatic growth and four of the five facets of mindfulness measures. Relative to older participants, younger participants showed greater improvements in symptoms of stress (p = 0.031), spirituality (p = 0.019) and non-reactivity to experience (p = 0.023). Post-traumatic growth increased more over time in men compared to women (p = 0.005). Within the subscales of mood and stress symptoms, vigour, fatigue and sympathetic arousal had the greatest relative improvements, suggesting an improvement in energy while inducing relaxation. The results are promising in terms of offering an accessible online MBCR approach to help cope with symptoms associated with cancer and its treatment.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303096184_The_eCALM_Trial_eTherapy_for_Cancer_Applying_Mindfulness_Exploratory_Analyses_of_the_Associations_Between_Online_Mindfulness-Based_Cancer_Recovery_Participation_and_Changes_in_Mood_Stress_Symptoms_Min

This review aimed to systematically summarise and synthesise the best available evidence on the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on anxiety, depression, quality of life, fatigue, stress, post-traumatic growth and mindfulness among adult cancer patients and survivors. Twenty-nine studies with a total of 3476 participants were included. Those who received mindfulness-based interventions reported significantly lower anxiety, depression, fatigue and stress, as well as higher quality of life, post-traumatic growth and mindfulness compared to participants in the control groups.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00520-019-05219-9
https://accessapps.amdi.usm.my/reqba_uploads/article/s00520-019-05219-9.pdf

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have demonstrated benefits for adults with chronic illnesses and are becoming increasingly popular among children and young people. Mindfulness-based interventions could have benefits for young people with cancer throughout the treatment process, up to and including survivorship.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32384422/

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) have been shown to improve the mental and physical health and biological processes of patients living with cancer. The results of this study will inform a future large trial and the adjustments needed for a real-world implementation of the programme. The translational part of this study will contribute to the collective effort to better understand how MBIs affect important cancer-related biomarkers.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/370242184_The_SERENITY_study_online_Mindfulness-Based_Cancer_Recovery_e-MBCR_program_for_women_living_with_breast_and_gynecological_cancer-protocol_for_a_pilot_effectiveness-implementation_randomized_trial

Insomnia is an important but often overlooked side effect of cancer. Dysfunctional sleep beliefs have been identified as an important perpetuating factor for insomnia. Mindfulness practice has been shown to improve sleep quality, but it is unknown whether these effects are related to changes in dysfunctional sleep beliefs. Purpose: This study is a secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial comparing mindfulness-based cancer recovery (MBCR) with cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) in cancer patients with insomnia. Conclusions: This study supports the use of CBT-I and MBCR to reduce the severity of insomnia and suggests the development of mindfulness facets as a method to reduce dysfunctional sleep beliefs.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281970484_The_Comparative_Impact_of_Mindfulness-Based_Cancer_Recovery_MBCR_and_Cognitive_Behavior_Therapy_for_Insomnia_CBT-I_on_Sleep_and_Mindfulness_in_Cancer_Patients

Insomnia is an important but often overlooked side effect of cancer. Increased support for dysfunctional sleep beliefs has been identified as a risk factor for the development, increased severity and maintenance of insomnia. Mindfulness-based cancer recovery (MBCR) has been shown to improve sleep quality, but it is unknown whether these effects are related to changes in dysfunctional sleep beliefs. Results: Patients reported statistically significant reductions in insomnia severity (p < .001), sleep-related worry (p < .001), and general dysfunctional sleep beliefs (p = .027) that were maintained at follow-up. Further reduction in unrealistic expectations of sleep was associated with greater improvements in conscious attitudes of not judging (r = – .470) and not reacting (r = -395). Improvement in the tendency to act with awareness was associated with greater reductions in sleep-related worry (r = -.398). Reduced dysfunctional sleep beliefs were associated with increased awareness (r = -.386) and improved tendency to judge experience (r = -.400). Conclusions: This study provides support for the use of MBCR to reduce sleep-related dysfunctional beliefs and overall insomnia severity.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268507362_The_impact_of_Mindfulness_Based_Cancer_Recovery_MBCR_on_insomnia_severity_and_dysfunctional_sleep_beliefs_in_cancer_patients_with_co-morbid_insomnia

The Mindfulness-Based Cancer Recovery (MBCR) programme is a group training course for cancer patients that combines cancer awareness and psychological awareness, focusing on the psychosomatic symptoms of cancer patients. Currently, the application value of mindfulness-based cancer recovery in improving the psychosomatic health of cancer patients has been confirmed, however, its intervention effect on patients with breast malignancies has not yet been widely studied in China. Mindfulness-based cancer recovery can effectively reduce levels of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, reduce levels of cancer-related fatigue, and promote patients’ physical and mental health.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381257808_Effects_of_Mindfulness-Based_Cancer_Recovery_training_on_anxiety_depression_post-traumatic_stress_disorder_and_cancer-related_fatigue_in_breast_neoplasm_patients_undergoing_chemotherapy

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) can improve symptoms and psychological well-being in breast cancer patients. However, traditional standard MBIs are an 8-week programme delivered through face-to-face treatment, which can be inconvenient for cancer patients. Many attempts have been made to adapt MBIs to increase their accessibility for cancer patients while maintaining their therapeutic components and efficacy. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of a 4-week mindfulness-based cancer recovery programme (iMBCR) delivered via the Internet in reducing symptom burden and improving health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in breast cancer patients. Our preliminary findings suggested that the iMBCR programme effectively improved the symptom burden and HRQOL of breast cancer patients. We strongly recommend that health professionals incorporate this programme when providing psychosocial care to breast cancer patients.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361271272_Effect_of_an_internet-delivered_4-week_mindfulness-based_cancer_recovery_intervention_on_the_symptom_burden_and_quality_of_life_of_breast_cancer_patients_A_randomized_controlled_trial_Preprint

This wait-list controlled study examined the timing of changes during mindfulness-based cancer recovery (MBCR) and explored the sequential mediated effects through increased mindfulness and emotion regulation (ER) in a cancer population. Results There was a relatively early effect of MBCR on observation, non-judgement, rumination and worry. All other measures changed later. Early changes in non-judgmental awareness, present-focused rumination and worry mediated the effect of MBCR on mindfulness skills such as non-reactivity later. Conclusion Mindfulness and ER constructs may overlap and changes may facilitate each other during MBCR. The study informs our understanding of mindfulness and ER as mechanisms of mindfulness-based interventions.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264499407_Mediators_of_Mindfulness-Based_Stress_Reduction_MBSR_Assessing_the_Timing_and_Sequence_of_Change_in_Cancer_Patients

A large number of studies have been conducted exploring the effects of mindfulness programmes on health outcomes, such as psychological and biological outcomes. Given that clinical practice is massively informed by evidence from review studies, our primary aim was to summarise the reported evidence regarding the effects of structured mindfulness-based programmes on psychological, biological and quality of life outcomes in cancer patients. Results Ten studies met the eligibility criteria and were included. The main findings were small to medium effect size benefits of MBSR/MBCT/MBCR on psychological health, such as anxiety, depression, stress and quality of life. A beneficial effect was found for biological outcomes, although based on a small number of studies. The studies were moderately homogeneous with respect to intervention, population and outcomes explored.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353383789_Evidence_of_psychological_and_biological_effects_of_structured_Mindfulness-Based_Interventions_for_cancer_patients_and_survivors_A_meta-review

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