Breast cancer survivors (BCS) often experience psychological and physiological symptoms after cancer treatment. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), a complementary and alternative therapy, has reduced subjective measures of stress, anxiety, and fatigue among BCS. Little is known, however, about how MBSR affects objective markers of stress, specifically the stress hormone cortisol and the...
To investigate prevalence and severity of symptoms and symptom clustering in breast cancer survivors who attended MBSR(BC). Women were randomly assigned into MBSR(BC) or Usual Care (UC). Eligible women were ≥ 21 years, had been diagnosed with breast cancer and completed treatment within 18 months of enrollment. Symptoms and interference with daily living were measured pre- and post-MBSR(BC)...
Considerable morbidity persists among survivors of breast cancer (BC) including high levels of psychological stress, anxiety, depression, fear of recurrence, and physical symptoms including pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbances, and impaired quality of life. Effective interventions are needed during this difficult transitional period. We conducted a randomized controlled trial of 84 female BC...