Cited by 174Cancer survivorship and careComplementary and Alternative Medicine StudiesMindfulness and Compassion Interventions

Yoga for symptom management in oncology: a review of the evidence base and future directions for research

Open access
Danhauer, Suzanne C., Addington, Elizabeth L., Cohen, Lorenzo, Sohl, Stephanie J., Van Puymbroeck, Marieke, Albinati, Natalia K., Culos‐Reed, S. Nicole·2019·Cancer

Abstract

Because yoga is increasingly recognized as a complementary approach to cancer symptom management, patients/survivors and providers need to understand its potential benefits and limitations both during and after treatment. The authors reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of yoga conducted at these points in the cancer continuum (N = 29; n = 13 during treatment, n = 12 post‐treatment, and n = 4 with mixed samples). Findings both during and after treatment demonstrated the efficacy of yoga to improve overall quality of life (QOL), with improvement in subdomains of QOL varying across studies. Fatigue was the most commonly measured outcome, and most RCTs conducted during or after cancer treatment reported improvements in fatigue. Results also suggested that yoga can improve stress/distress during treatment and post‐treatment disturbances in sleep and cognition. Several RCTs provided evidence that yoga may improve biomarkers of stress, inflammation, and immune function. Outcomes with limited or mixed findings (eg, anxiety, depression, pain, cancer‐specific symptoms, such as lymphedema) and positive psychological outcomes (such as benefit‐finding and life satisfaction) warrant further study. Important future directions for yoga research in oncology include: enrolling participants with cancer types other than breast, standardizing self‐report assessments, increasing the use of active control groups and objective measures, and addressing the heterogeneity of yoga interventions, which vary in type, key components (movement, meditation, breathing), dose, and delivery mode.

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  • A review of 29 RCTs based on cancer patients' stage of treatment reported significant improvements for pain, sleep measured via actigraphy, biomarkers, and distress during cancer treatment, as well as significant improvements in self-reported cancer-related side effects and sleep following treatment.

    “In another review of yoga outcomes based on cancer patients' stage of treatment (29 RCTs, including n = 13 undergoing treatment, n = 12 post-treatment, and n = 4 mixed samples; Danhauer et al. 2019), significant improvements were reported for pain, sleep measured via actigraphy, biomarkers (e.g., inflammation, cortisol), and distress during cancer treatment, as well as significant improvements in”

    From Psychosocial and Integrative Oncology: Interventions Across the Disease Trajectory. (2023) · cites this paper as Danhauer et al. 2019

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  • There has historically been incomplete reporting of compliance to prescribed FITT programs in published studies.

    “there has historically been incomplete reporting of compliance to a prescribed FITT program in published studies, likely because tracking and quantifying compliance can be burdensome (74–76).”

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  1. [67]Chaoul A, Milbury K, Spelman A, Randomized trial of Tibetan yoga in patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Cancer. 2018; 124(1): 36– 45. 28940301 PMC5735004
  2. [71]Rao RM, Telles S, Nagendra HR, Effects of yoga on natural killer cell counts in early breast cancer patients undergoing conventional treatment. Comment to: recreational music-making modulates natural killer cell activity, cytokines, and mood states in corporate employees Masatada Wachi, Masahiro Koyama, Masanori Utsuyama, Barry B. Bittman, Masanobu Kitagawa, Katsuiku Hirokawa Med Sci Monit, 2007; 13(2): CR57–70 4282. Med Sci Monit. 2008; 14(2): LE3– LE4. 18227770

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Authors
Danhauer, S. C., Addington, E. L., Cohen, L., Sohl, S. J., Van Puymbroeck, M., Albinati, N. K., & Culos‐Reed, S. N.
Affiliations
  • Wake Forest University Health Sciences (US)
  • Northwestern University (US)
  • The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (US)
  • School of Health Research, College of Behavioral, Social, and Health Sciences, Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management Clemson University Clemson South Carolina
  • University of Calgary (CA)
  • Faculty of Kinesiology University of Calgary Calgary Alberta Canada
Corresponding author
Danhauer, Suzanne C.
Venue
Cancer
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2019-04
Volume
125
Issue
12
Pages
1979-1989
ISSN
  • 0008-543X (ISSN-L)
  • 1097-0142
OpenAlex
W2932171133
Cited by
174
References
80
Citations by year
2026: 22 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 29 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 16
FWCI
2.12
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cancer (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (K01AT008219)
  • National Cancer Institute (CA193193)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Complementary and Alternative Medicine Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
Keywords
yoga, cancer symptom management, quality of life, cancer-related fatigue, sleep disorders, cognitive function, inflammatory markers, immune function, complementary therapy, cancer survivors, breast cancer, meditation, benefit finding, life satisfaction
MeSH terms
Cancer Survivors, Humans, Neoplasms, Prognosis, Quality of Life, Yoga, Disease Management

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