The effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction on chemotherapy-related physical and psychological distress in colorectal cancer patients: a retrospective cohort study.
Minqing Huang, Guiling Huang, Fang Wang, Lihuan Qiu, Wenhang Zhuang
Future oncology June 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1080/14796694.2026.2672133 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Retrospective cohort study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 301 |
| Population | Patients with colorectal cancer undergoing chemotherapy |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based stress reduction |
| Duration | 8-week intervention, assessed over four chemotherapy cycles |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Mindfulness-based stress reduction Colorectal cancer |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based stress reduction significantly reduced chemotherapy-induced nausea, vomiting, depression, and anxiety compared to routine nursing care alone. |
Abstract
Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, together with depression and anxiety, are common and distressing complications in patients with colorectal cancer that seriously impair quality of life and treatment adherence. This study explored the efficacy of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in relieving chemotherapy-related physical and psychological distress. This retrospective cohort study included 301 patients with colorectal cancer undergoing chemotherapy. The control group received routine nursing care, whereas the MBSR group completed an 8-week intervention including mindful breathing, body scan, and meditation. FLIE, PHQ 9 and GAD 7 were used to assess symptoms over four chemotherapy cycles. Compared to the control group, the MBSR group had significantly higher FLIE nausea and vomiting scores (all p < 0.001), indicating that MBSR could effectively mitigate the severity of CINV. PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores were significantly lower in the MBSR group (all p < 0.001). The MBSR group exhibited a clear ameliorative trend with both baseline and post-intervention scores declining throughout the treatment course, confirming its efficacy in alleviating depressive and anxiety symptoms. MBSR effectively relieves chemotherapy-induced nausea, vomiting, depression, and anxiety, and is worthy of clinical application to improve the physical and psychological status and quality of life of patients with colorectal cancer.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cites 7
- A systematic review of neurobiological and clinical features of mindfulness meditations Psychological Medicine November 27, 2009
- Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Reduces Anxiety, Depression, and Suicidal Ideation in Veterans Medical Care November 13, 2014
- The use of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for breast cancer patients-meta-analysis. BMC Psychology November 1, 2024
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Older Adults With Stress Disorders and Neurocognitive Difficulties: A Randomized Controlled Trial. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry July 2017
- The effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for survivors of breast cancer: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial Trials April 22, 2016
and 2 more in the library