CYBERMED LIFE - ORGANIC  & NATURAL LIVING

Meditation

Mindfulness practice reduces cortisol blunting during chemotherapy: A randomized controlled study of colorectal cancer patients.

Written by CYBERMED LIFE NEWS
facebook Share on Facebook
Abstract Title:

Mindfulness practice reduces cortisol blunting during chemotherapy: A randomized controlled study of colorectal cancer patients.

Abstract Source:

Cancer. 2017 Apr 7. Epub 2017 Apr 7. PMID: 28387949

Abstract Author(s):

David S Black, Cheng Peng, Alix G Sleight, Nathalie Nguyen, Heinz-Josef Lenz, Jane C Figueiredo

Article Affiliation:

David S Black

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: The objective of this randomized clinical experiment was to test the influence of a mindfulness meditation practice, when delivered during 1 session of active chemotherapy administration, on the acute salivary cortisol response as a marker of neuroendocrine system activity in cancer patients.

METHODS: A mindfulness, attention-control, or resting exposure was assigned to 57 English- or Spanish-speaking colorectal cancer patients at 1 county oncology clinic and 1 university oncology clinic at the start of chemotherapy. Saliva samples were collected at the start of chemotherapy and at subsequent 20-minute intervals during the first 60 minutes of chemotherapy (4 samples in all). Self-reporting on biobehavioral assessments after chemotherapy included distress, fatigue, and mindfulness.

RESULTS: An area-under-the-curve analysis (AUC) showed a relative increase in cortisol reactivity in the mindfulness group after adjustments for biological and clinical measures (β = 123.21; P = .03). More than twice as many patients in the mindfulness group versus the controls displayed a cortisol rise from the baseline to 20 minutes (69% vs 34%; P = .02). AUC values were uncorrelated with biobehavioral measure scores, although mindfulness scores were inverselycorrelated with fatigue (r = -0.46; P < .01) and distress scores (r = -0.54; P < .01).

CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that mindfulness practice during chemotherapy can reduce the blunting of neuroendocrine profiles typically observed in cancer patients. Implications include support for the use of mindfulness practice in integrative oncology. Cancer 2017.© 2017 American Cancer Society.


We use cookies on our website. Some of them are essential for the operation of the site, while others help us to improve this site and the user experience (tracking cookies). You can decide for yourself whether you want to allow cookies or not. Please note that if you reject them, you may not be able to use all the functionalities of the site.