Cancer and Mindfulness-Based Cancer Recovery After Chemotherapy

University of Minnesota (UMN)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Breast Cancer; Uterine Cancer; Ovarian Cancer; Colorectal Cancer

Treatments: Behavioral: Mindfulness Based Cancer Recovery

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01601548

2012NTLS014

Details and patient eligibility

About

Upon the completion of aggressive chemotherapy and radiation for curative intent cancers, many cancer survivors suffer from a myriad of symptoms ranging from physical symptoms such as hot flashes, insomnia, and fatigue to psychosocial symptoms including depression and anxiety. Mindfulness Based Cancer Recovery (MBCR) is a type of mind-body intervention. Mind-body interventions are defined as practices or interventions that focus on the connection and integration of the mind and body and the ability for these connections to effect changes on physical, emotional and spiritual levels for the purpose of promoting health and well being.

Full description

MBCR is a step wise standardized behavioral intervention of MBSR. The program is usually conducted in eight weekly class sessions that are 2-2.5 hours in length. During class sessions, participants are presented with mindfulness meditation techniques and share their experiences related to these meditation practices. There is a home practice component with an expectation of regular home meditation practice of 45 minutes per day. In addition to home meditation practice there are often reading assignments and reflective exercises that relate to mindfulness. A full day retreat generally occurs in the second half of the course, providing an opportunity for class participants to gain extended experience with mindfulness techniques.

Enrollment: 45 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Stage I-III breast cancer, gynecologic cancer or colorectal cancer
• Cancer survivor at least 18 years of age at the time of study enrollment
• Completed chemotherapy within the past six months at the time of consent (adjuvant hormone therapy is allowed)

Exclusion criteria

• Psychologic disease in which informed consent cannot be obtained from the subject
• Need for ongoing chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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45 participants in 2 patient groups

Intervention Arm

Experimental group

Description:

Subjects are randomized to the Mindfulness Based Cancer Recovery (MBSR) intervention. Participants are presented with mindfulness medication techniques and share their experiences related to these meditation practices. There is a home practice component with an expectation of regular home meditation practice of 45 minutes per day. A full day silent retreat will occur in the second half of the course, providing an opportunity for class participants to gain experience with mindfulness techniques.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindfulness Based Cancer Recovery

Control Arm

No Intervention group

Description:

No intervention is administered. Health-related quality of life questionnaires will be completed.