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Cited by 147Cancer survivorship and careMindfulness and Compassion InterventionsComplementary and Alternative Medicine Studies

Yoga Breathing for Cancer Chemotherapy–Associated Symptoms and Quality of Life: Results of a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

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Dhruva, Anand, Miaskowski, Christine, Abrams, Donald, Acree, Michael, Cooper, Bruce, Goodman, Steffanie, Hecht, Frederick M.·2012·The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
DOI 10.1089/acm.2011.0555PMC PMC3353818
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Many debilitating symptoms arise from cancer and its treatment that are often unrelieved by established methods. Pranayama, a series of yogic breathing techniques, may improve cancer-related symptoms and quality of life, but it has not been studied for this purpose. OBJECTIVES: A pilot study was performed to evaluate feasibility and to test the effects of pranayama on cancer-associated symptoms and quality of life. DESIGN: This was a randomized controlled clinical trial comparing pranayama to usual care. SETTING: The study was conducted at a university medical center. SUBJECTS: Patients receiving cancer chemotherapy were randomized to receive pranayama immediately or after a waiting period (control group). INTERVENTIONS: The pranayama intervention consisted of four breathing techniques taught in weekly classes and practiced at home. The treatment group received pranayama during two consecutive cycles of chemotherapy. The control group received usual care during their first cycle, and received pranayama during their second cycle of chemotherapy. OUTCOME MEASURES: Feasibility, cancer-associated symptoms (fatigue, sleep disturbance, anxiety, depression, stress), and quality of life were the outcomes. RESULTS: Class attendance was nearly 100% in both groups. Sixteen (16) participants were included in the final intent-to-treat analyses. The repeated-measures analyses demonstrated that any increase in pranayama dose, with dose measured in the number of hours practiced in class or at home, resulted in improved symptom and quality-of-life scores. Several of these associations--sleep disturbance (p=0.04), anxiety (p=0.04), and mental quality of life (p=0.05)--reached or approached statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Yoga breathing was a feasible intervention among patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy. Pranayama may improve sleep disturbance, anxiety, and mental quality of life. A dose-response relationship was found between pranayama use and improvements in chemotherapy-associated symptoms and quality of life. These findings need to be confirmed in a larger study.

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  • Dhruva et al.'s study included in the meta-analysis specifically investigated dose-response effects, finding a positive relationship between total amount of breathwork intervention/home practice and improvement in quality of life and chemotherapy-associated symptomology, with a significant decrease in anxiety for each hour increase in breathwork.

    “Dhruva et al.’s study64 included in our meta-analysis specifically investigated dose–response effects, finding a positive relationship between total amount of breathwork intervention/home practice and improvement in quality of life and chemotherapy-associated symptomology—there was a significant decrease in anxiety for each hour increase in breathwork.”

    From Effect of breathwork on stress and mental health: A meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials (2023) · cites this paper as [64]

  • Patients are recommended various forms of psychotherapy such as relaxation, guided imagery, mindfulness meditation, music therapy, occupational therapy, and breathing exercises.

    “Patients are also recommended various forms of psychotherapy [10,11,12], such as relaxation and guided imagery [13,14], mindfulness meditation (mindfulness-based stress reduction) [14], music therapy [15,16], occupational therapy [17,18,19], and breathing exercises [20,21,22].”

    From The Effect of Vinyasa Yoga Practice on the Well-Being of Breast-Cancer Patients during COVID-19 Pandemic (2023) · cites this paper as [21]

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. [3]Iyengar B. Light on Pranayama. London: Harper Collins; 1992. [Google Scholar]
  2. [31]Karnofsky D. Performance Scale. New York: Plenum Press; 1977. [Google Scholar]

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Authors
Dhruva, A., Miaskowski, C., Abrams, D., Acree, M., Cooper, B., Goodman, S., & Hecht, F. M.
Affiliations
University of California, San Francisco (US)
Corresponding author
Dhruva, Anand
ORCID
Venue
The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2012-05
Volume
18
Issue
5
Pages
473-479
ISSN
  • 1075-5535 (ISSN-L)
  • 1557-7708
DOI
10.1089/acm.2011.0555
PMC
PMC3353818
OpenAlex
W2034185555
Cited by
147
References
42
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 5
FWCI
5.22
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (K23AT005340)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Complementary and Alternative Medicine Studies
Keywords
pranayama, cancer chemotherapy, quality of life, fatigue, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, stress, mental health, feasibility, dose-response relationship, complementary therapy
MeSH terms
Adult, Aged, Antineoplastic Agents, Anxiety, Breathing Exercises, Depression, Evaluation Studies as Topic, Fatigue, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Neoplasms, Patient Acceptance of Health Care, Pilot Projects, Quality of Life, Respiration, Sleep Wake Disorders, Stress, Psychological, Yoga, Meditation, Intention to Treat Analysis

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