Feasibility and acceptability of a mindfulness app-based intervention among patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma: a multinational study.
Cristiane Decat Bergerot, Paulo Gustavo Bergerot, Errol J Philip, Jasnoor Malhotra, Daniela V Castro, Ameish Govindarajan, William Hiromi Fuzita, Marcos Vinicius Da Silva França, Andressa Cardoso de Azeredo, Gabriel Marques Dos Anjos, Romildo de Araujo, Joann Hsu, Neal Chawla, Alex Chehrazi-Raffle, Marco Murilo Buso, Bechara J. Saab, Linda E. Carlson, Sumanta K Pal
The oncologist January 17, 2025 DOI: 10.1093/oncolo/oyae309 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Single-arm feasibility trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 50 |
| Population | Patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) undergoing immunotherapy |
| Intervention | mindfulness app-based activities |
| Duration | 4-week intervention, with follow-up at week 12 |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Digital health Emotional distress Fatigue Kidney cancer Mind-body therapies |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key findings | A mindfulness app intervention was feasible and acceptable, with significant improvements in emotional symptoms, fatigue, and quality of life from baseline to post-intervention. |
Abstract
Patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) experience emotional distress and limited supportive care access. This study assesses a mindfulness app's feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy in improving emotional symptoms, trait mindfulness, and overall quality of life for patients with mRCC on immunotherapy. This multinational study recruited patients with mRCC undergoing immunotherapy from Brazil and the United States. Participants were required to engage in mindfulness app-based activities for 20-30 min daily, at least 4 days per week, over a 4-week period. Assessments were conducted at weeks 0, 2, 4, and 12 to evaluate emotional symptoms (PROMIS-Anxiety and Depression, Fear of Cancer Recurrence-7), fatigue (Brief Fatigue Inventory), trait mindfulness (Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale), and quality of life (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-General). Self-reported data were used to assess adherence. Linear mixed-effects models were used to evaluate changes over time for the measured outcomes. Among 50 patients with mRCC, the feasibility of this intervention was demonstrated; 96% of patients were assessed at week 4, with high adherence rates reported by 75% of patients. Participants expressed positive feedback on the smartphone-based approach. Significant improvements were observed in emotional symptoms, fatigue, and quality of life scores from baseline to post-intervention (P = .001 for each), suggesting the positive impact of this intervention. Our findings provide encouraging evidence for the feasibility and acceptability of a mindfulness app-based intervention among patients with mRCC. This intervention may offer a viable and accessible means of providing psychosocial support to patients with mRCC.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cites 3
- Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders American Journal of Psychiatry July 1, 1992
- Assessing adolescent mindfulness: Validation of an Adapted Mindful Attention Awareness Scale in adolescent normative and psychiatric populations. Psychological Assessment 2011
- The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Therapy on Anxiety and Depression: A Meta-Analytic Review Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology April 1, 2010