"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.
Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less."
Marie Curie
Benefits of mindfulness meditation for survivors of breast cancer
January 29, 2021
By UCLA Health
It’s no secret that mindfulness, or focusing on the present moment, can be good for your well-being. But researchers are still uncovering the full potential of mindfulness meditation and how it can benefit people with cancer.
For survivors of breast cancer, studies show that practicing this type of meditation may offer some relief from the depression, fatigue, anxiety and stress that often sets in after treatment ends. UCLA-led research found that just six weeks of mindfulness meditation significantly reduced depression symptoms in survivors of breast cancer. And the effects lasted more than six months after meditation stopped.
Mind-Body Practices in Cancer Care
A key ingredient to reduce the damaging effects of chronic stress, reducing distress, and improving QOL is to have patients engage in behaviors that decrease sympathetic and increase parasympathetic arousal; in other words, having them learn how to relax in stressful situations. Many people may turn to mind-body techniques as a way to manage stress and improve QOL.
Mind-body techniques such as meditation, yoga, tai chi, and qigong have been found to lower distress and lead to improvements in different aspects of quality of life. It is essential that the standard of care in oncology include distress screening and the delivery of different techniques to help patients manage the psychosocial challenges of diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
Evidence for the Role of Mindfulness in Cancer: Benefits and Techniques
Mindfulness is being used increasingly in various aspects of cancer management. Benefits of mindfulness practices are being observed to manage the adverse effects of treatment, symptoms from cancer progression, and the cost-effectiveness compared to conventional contemporary management strategies.
The current approach to mindfulness, as understood in the Western health system, is a way to achieve a state of mind that is aware and in control. This approach, in turn, reduces stress, improves physical health, and allows harmony in life.
Coping with Cancer: How to Relax your Body and Mind
Many people with cancer and their caregivers have found that doing relaxation techniques or practicing meditation and mindfulness has helped them lower stress and cope with anxiety. All are ways people try to calm themselves and feel better.
Complementary Therapies as a Strategy to Reduce Stress and Stimulate Immunity of Women With Breast Cancer
The use of complementary therapies in the treatment of women with breast cancer has demonstrated therapeutic benefits that entail improvements in the patients' quality of life.
The use of complementary therapies in the treatment of women with breast cancer has significantly improved these subjects' stress, depression, fatigue, anxiety, and, consequently, their quality of life, as well as their immune response, which is mainly illustrated by the increased number and cytotoxic activity of natural killer cells.
