by Edward Winstead
People undergoing cancer treatment who participated in virtual mind-body fitness classes reported less fatigue, depression, and physical symptoms related to treatment than those who did not participate.
Credit: iStock
For people undergoing cancer treatment, attending virtual mind-body fitness classes may have important benefits, including reducing the risk of hospitalization for treatment-related problems, according to clinical trial results. .
In this trial, people who were randomly assigned to attend classes were less likely to be hospitalized and had shorter hospital stays if they were admitted to the hospital than those who were not assigned to participate.
Some classes taught participants movement-based activities such as yoga, tai chi, and dance therapy. Other classes taught meditation-based practices such as music therapy and mindfulness.
Previous research suggests that mind-body fitness practices may help reduce common side effects of cancer treatment, such as fatigue, anxiety and depression, said the trial’s lead investigator and Memorial. – Dr. Mao Jun Mao, MSCE, director of integrative medicine at Sloan Kettering, pointed out. Cancer Center (MSKCC).
In this trial, Dr. Mao and his colleagues tested a program they developed called Integrative Medicine at Home (IM@Home). This program offers over 20 of his live classes delivered via Zoom. The 200 participants in the study were receiving chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or radiation therapy at MSKCC.
Participants in the IM@Home group reported treatment-related reductions in fatigue, depression, and physical symptoms, Dr. Mao reported Oct. 28 at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Quality Care Symposium in Boston. did.
The researchers also found unexpected differences in the use of hospitals and medical services. In addition to having fewer unplanned hospitalizations and shorter hospital stays, IM@Home participants had fewer emergency center visits than study participants who did not participate in the program.
“I was surprised to learn that participating in the program actually reduced the number of hospitalizations and decreased the likelihood of hospitalization,” Dr. Mao said. And while the program did not help reduce the likelihood of at least one emergency room visit, it may have helped reduce the median number of times a patient visits the emergency room, he said. added.
“These are encouraging results,” said Farah Zia, M.D., co-leader of the NIH-wide Committee on Integrative Medicine and NCI’s Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnostics, who was not involved in the trial.
“This trial shows that virtual mind-body fitness programs can be successfully implemented in cancer care settings,” Dr. Jia said, noting that research on how to make such programs available to cancer patients is limited. He added that
Dr. Jia cautioned that larger studies with longer follow-up periods are needed to confirm the results, which have not been published in scientific journals. Dr. Mao said his team plans to conduct such a study.
“We would like to note that this trial was designed as an early-stage trial, and therefore requires longer follow-up to confirm the results before we can have full confidence in the results.” “We would like to conduct large-scale studies,” he said.
Providing virtual mind–Body fitness program for cancer patients
Research on mind-body practices for cancer patients and those who have previously been treated for cancer has expanded in recent decades. For example, one recent study found that yoga helped improve symptoms and quality of life in men with prostate cancer. Other researchers showed that mindfulness meditation reduced depressive symptoms in young women with breast cancer.
Such findings have led oncology groups to recommend using some of these methods to treat anxiety and depression in cancer patients.
Some large cancer centers are already incorporating mind-body practices into cancer treatment. “These technologies are often part of an approach to caring for patients called whole person health, which recognizes that social and emotional well-being is just as important as physical well-being. ” said Dr. Zia.
Dr. Jia said the IM@Home trial addressed an important gap in research on mind-body practices in cancer treatment, as the best way to deliver these techniques to cancer patients is unknown. The study stemmed from Dr. Mao and his colleagues converting many of their mind-body fitness programs for cancer patients into virtual formats during the COVID-19 pandemic. .
“The pandemic has been difficult, but it has allowed us to find ways to help more patients from the comfort of their own homes,” Dr. Mao explained. His team has previously demonstrated the feasibility of delivering mind-body fitness programs virtually.
Helping patients keep their minds and bodies active
To evaluate IM@Home in a clinical trial, Dr. Mao and his colleagues recruited people with various types of cancer who reported moderate or higher fatigue. Each subject was randomly assigned to participate in IM@Home or receive an enhanced standard of care that included access to pre-recorded online meditation resources in addition to the standard of care provided by their physician. .
Participants were asked to rate their fatigue levels during the test, allowing researchers to create and compare fatigue scores. Researchers used electronic medical records to track participants’ use of hospital services during the three-month study period.
Members of the IM@Home group can choose from a variety of exercises and practices. Dr. Mao said that flexibility is very important because some days, such as after chemotherapy treatments, you may not have as much energy to be active as others.
“We thought that by giving patients the opportunity to choose from a wide range of options, we could keep them as active as possible,” he says. “Some people may want to do more aerobic strength training, while others may prefer more sedentary training, such as mindfulness meditation.”
The IM@Home program allows participants to participate in group video chats during class. “Patients can build a sense of community with others who are on a similar journey,” Dr. Mao said. “Today’s post-COVID-19 world can be very isolating for some patients, and these social connections can have beneficial effects.”
The median age of participants was nearly 60 years, and most participants were female (91%) and Caucasian (78%).
There was a significant difference in hospitalization rates between the two groups. For example, only 5% of patients in the virtual mind-body fitness group were hospitalized during the study period, compared to 14% of patients in the intensive standard care group.
When admitted, the length of stay also differed (median 5 days vs. 9 days). Total hospital stay for the virtual mind-body fitness group was 17 days, compared to 130 days for the intensive standard care group.
Urgent care center visits also decreased among people in the virtual mind and body fitness group: 11 versus 30.
Learn more about the mind–physical strength of cancer patients
Researchers say it’s not clear why the number of hospital stays and emergency department visits decreased.
Previous research suggests that cancer patients with certain levels of fatigue and related symptoms may not do as well as those without these symptoms, Dr. Mao noted. In future trials, he plans to investigate how this type of condition can lead to hospitalization.
Dr. Zia praised the trial design, noting that the use of randomization increases confidence in the results.
These results raise the possibility that one day all patients will have access to effective and safe non-drug treatments. [that reduce complications of cancer treatments] “From the comfort of home,” she said.
In future studies, Dr. Mao and his colleagues also plan to further investigate whether the program helps patients stay in cancer treatment. And if the answer is yes, researchers want to know whether these patients live longer than normal.
“The current study is just the beginning of what we want to learn,” he added.
