Mindfulness and tai chi practices help cancer survivors manage symptoms

The cancer journey for many patients doesn’t end after treatment. Many live with long-term side effects that affect their ability to sleep and cause pain, impacting daily life. A new study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology finds mindfulness and tai chi practices can help cancer survivors manage those symptoms. 

The Mindfulness and Tai Chi for Cancer Health (MATCH) study looked at over 500 cancer survivors with varying types and stages of cancer and found that patients experienced less pain, fatigue, and sleep problems after participating in the interventions. The study, which was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, was a collaborative effort between researchers at the University of Calgary, University of Toronto and Mass General Brigham in Boston, Massachusetts.

"More and more people with cancer are surviving longer term but often, they are struggling with long-term side effects that can be difficult to manage, "says Dr. Linda E. Carlson, PhD, a professor at the University of Calgary and lead investigator on the study. "This study highlights that the cancer experience doesn't just end for survivors after active treatment is done, and we hope it starts a conversation amongst medical teams about how to incorporate these mind-body therapies into overall cancer care."

Mindfulness-based cancer recovery (MBCR) involves meditation practices, breathing techniques, gentle stretching, group discussion and incorporation of attitudes like acceptance and compassion to help manage patients' responses to various stages of illness and treatment. Tai chi and qigong (TCQ) are ancient Chinese mind-body practices that integrate gentle flowing movements with heightened attention to body sensations and breathing, which also helps patients regulate their thoughts and emotions.

The MATCH study allowed participants to choose the practice they would like to do. If they didn't have a preference, an intervention was assigned to them. The study compared outcomes from participants to patients on a waitlist for the trial.

"These findings reinforce the value of a whole-person approach to cancer survivorship care," says senior author Peter Wayne, PhD, Director of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at Mass General Brigham. "We found that both mindfulness-based cancer recovery and tai chi/qigong helped participants manage some of the most common and burdensome challenges faced after cancer treatment, including fatigue, pain and, in the case of tai chi/qigong, sleep difficulties. The strong relationships among improvements in these symptoms suggest that mind-body interventions may help support health and well-being in an integrated way."

Pain was measured in two ways: intensity and interference with daily activities. Although there were minimal effects on intensity, pain interference, the more psychological aspect of pain, improved over time with both practices.

The approach of mind-body therapies like MBCR and TCQ often focuses on the overall experience of suffering from pain, helping people learn to better manage and respond to existing pain. Researchers also found that symptoms of pain interference, sleep disturbance and fatigue tended to cluster together, so when one symptom improved, the other two did as well.

Mary and Ken Taub joined the nine-week MBCR program together. Ken as a cancer survivor and Mary as his caregiver support. As they started incorporating the mindfulness practice into their day-to-day lives, both experienced the value it added. "I can start the day feeling fresh and limber," says Ken. "I no longer have any stiffness for the first 30 minutes in the morning. In fact, I no longer have any discomfort in my back walking, lifting etcetera. It has been a tremendous help navigating this most unpleasant journey."

As someone who has seen her husband go through incredibly challenging times, Mary has seen a shift in his perspective that she credits to the mindfulness practice, "he was still open to receiving the good in each day even though he was going through a really tough time."

Cynthia Good participated in the TCQ 11-week program and found that having a daily practice was a form of self-care that she didn't consider before. "My brain is always going and because I have to concentrate when I do the tai chi, the focus for my brain is completely different," she says. "In a busy and worrying life, it is so helpful to have something where you focus on yourself and what you can control."