Yoga Study in Breast Cancer Patients

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (FHCC)

Status

Completed

Conditions

Breast Cancer

Treatments

Other: Delayed yoga classes

Behavioral: Yoga

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

NIH

Identifiers

NCT00476203

U54CA116847-01 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

PHS - 6434

Details and patient eligibility

About

This purpose of this study is to test whether a 6-month yoga program improves quality of life and reduces fatigue and weight gain in breast cancer survivors.

Full description

Women who are overweight or obese have a higher risk of breast cancer than normal weight women. Furthermore, women who are overweight or obese or gain weight after diagnosis have an increased risk of recurrence or dying from breast cancer compared with normal weight women. Yoga has been associated with reduced weight gain and weight loss in persons without cancer. However, no studies have tested whether yoga leads to less weight gain or weight loss in breast cancer patients. Both obesity and the sequelae of breast cancer therapy can result in reduced health-related quality of life and severe fatigue, which may also be favorably affected by yoga practice. The specific aims of the proposed trial are to examine, in women with Stage 0-IIIa breast cancer who are at least 3 months post primary treatment for their disease (other than tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors), the effects of a 6-month yoga intervention on health-related quality of life, fatigue, and body weight.

Enrollment

63 patients

Sex

Female

Ages

21 to 75 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Female
Age 21-75
Diagnosed with a primary breast cancer Stage 0-IIIa
Current tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitor use is allowed
At least 3 months post treatment (e.g., surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy)
BMI: 24 kg/m2 or greater (If Asian or Asian-American BMI: 23 kg/m2 or greater)
No contraindications to participating in a yoga program
Able to come for clinic visits, and attend weekly classes, and fill out questionnaires and logs in English
Gives informed consent, agrees to be randomly assigned

Exclusion criteria

Plans to leave the study area within the follow-up period
Is pregnant or plans to become pregnant during the study period.
History of myocardial infarction (heart attack) or stroke in the previous 6 months, or diabetes (current diagnosis)
Has practiced yoga more than 1 time per month in the past six months.
Current use of medications likely to interfere with adherence to interventions or study outcomes
Alcohol or drug abuse, significant mental illness (as assessed by study staff impression)