For patients undergoing cancer surgery, anxiety is common during the perioperative period. This scoping review of six studies found that guided, mindfulness, and loving-kindness meditation may help reduce anxiety, especially in breast cancer patients after surgery. However, the evidence is very limited, and more research is needed on broader populations and optimal timing of meditation interventions.
Among 477 lung cancer patients in three Chinese hospitals, three distinct patterns of illness perception emerged: low (27%), moderate (40%), and high (33%). Patients with more negative illness perceptions experienced greater demoralization, but this relationship was partially explained by lower self-transcendence—the ability to find meaning beyond oneself. Promoting self-transcendence may help reduce the demoralizing effects of negative illness perceptions in lung cancer care.