Photo Credit: Tippapatt
An online mindfulness-based stress reduction program reduced the symptomatic burden for patients with breast cancer, according to research from SABCS.
An online, mindfulness-based intervention benefited patients with breast cancer in a real-world setting, according to research presented at the 2024 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
“Patients with breast cancer experience significant psychological distress, fatigue, insomnia, and menopausal symptoms throughout their treatment and survivorship,” wrote Cynthia Villarreal-Garza, MD, DSc, and colleagues. “Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has been implemented to alleviate these symptoms.”
Study Design
The study included patients aged 18 years or older with a breast cancer diagnosis. Thirty-seven patients participated, with a median age of 53 years. Most were married (56%), college-educated (53%), and publicly insured (50%). Stages 2 and 3 breast cancer were the most common diagnoses (33% each). Active treatments included endocrine therapy (53%), chemotherapy (14%), and anti-HER2 therapy (14%).
The participants underwent an 8-week online MBSR program facilitated by a certified instructor. The program included mindfulness exercises and stress reduction techniques, with assessments conducted at baseline, one week post-completion, and one month later.
The investigators used validated measures to evaluate the program’s effectiveness, including:
- General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7)
- Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)
- Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy Fatigue Scale (FACIT-F)
- Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS)
- Insomnia Severity Index (ISI)
- Cancer Worry Scale (CWS)
- Menopause-Specific Quality of Life (MENQOL)
The researchers conducted a linear mixed-model analysis, incorporating variables such as antidepressant use, menopausal status, cancer stage, treatment modalities, and recurrence.
Intervention Proves Beneficial
Participants attended a median of six sessions (IQR, 5-8). Satisfaction levels were high, with 78% of patients rating the program as “very useful.” Attendance barriers included time conflicts (19%), family commitments (16%), and forgetfulness (14%).
Significant improvements in symptom scores were observed one week post-completion:
- GAD-7: -2.79 points (P<0.01)
- PHQ-9: -3.15 points (P<0.01)
- FACIT-F: -2.54 points (P=0.03)
- MAAS: +0.65 points (P=0.01)
- CWS: -3.54 points (P<0.01)
Improvements in insomnia (ISI) and menopausal symptoms (MENQOL) were not significant initially. At one month, improvements persisted across most measures, with additional significant changes in ISI (-3.64 points, P<0.01). MEN-QOL scores remained unchanged.
The researchers concluded that online MBSR is an effective, accessible intervention for reducing the symptomatic burden of patients with breast cancer in real-world settings.
“The significant improvements observed in GAD-7, PHQ-9, FACIT-F, MAAS, and CWS scores suggest a substantial impact on patients’ QOL. Given the confirmed efficacy of online programs, it is crucial to incorporate these feasible and accessible interventions into routine care to benefit a larger number of patients,” Dr. Villarreal-Garza and colleagues concluded.
