Take a Breather-Physiological Correlates of a Conscious Connected Breathing Session in a Trained Group of Breast Cancer Patients.

A single session of Conscious Connected Breathing (CCB) as part of a ten-session Integrative Breathwork Psychotherapy (IBP) program produced acute physiological changes in 48 breast cancer patients hospitalized for postoperative radiotherapy. During the session, blood gas analysis showed mild respiratory alkalosis: decreased pCO2, pO2, and increased pH. Prolactin levels increased significantly, while cortisol and immunoglobulin A (IgA) decreased. These shifts suggest CCB may have immunostimulatory and stress-modulatory effects, supporting its potential as a complementary therapy for cancer patients.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Introduction/Goal: Stress and negative emotions have been shown to exert a substantial impact on cancer patients, affecting their ability to adapt to therapy and the overall effectiveness. Elevated cortisol levels, a stress-induced hormone, have been shown to suppress immune system function, potentially reducing the body's capacity to combat cancer cells. On the contrary, prolactin, a hormone that stimulates the immune system, has shown potential in this context but requires further study. The objective of this study was to investigate the acute physiological changes that occur during a single Conscious Connected Breathing (CCB) session, as part of a larger investigation on Integrative Breathwork Psychotherapy (IBP), a novel integrative psychosomatic intervention designed to improve psychosomatic and immune status in cancer patients. The project involved 93 breast cancer patients hospitalized for postoperative radiotherapy who participated in a ten-session IBP program. Fifty-six patients agreed to participate (response rate: 60%). During the experiment, 8 patients were excluded from the analysis. IBP consisted of small group sessions (up to six participants) conducted three times weekly. Each session included 45 min of CCB-defined as rhythmic circular nasal breathing at a depth exceeding resting tidal volume, without breath-holding, performed in a state of mindful acceptance-followed by 15 min of free emotional expression (verbal articulation of emerging feelings and sensations). This was a within-subject pre-post design: physiological measurements were obtained immediately before and 30 min into the tenth session (when participants had achieved technical proficiency) in all participants, who served as their own controls. Outcome measures included: arterialized capillary blood gas parameters (pH, pCO2, pO2, ctO2, COHb, HHb, cH+), serum cortisol and prolactin concentrations, and immunoglobulin A (IgA). During the CCB session, blood gas analysis revealed significant changes consistent with mild respiratory alkalosis: decreases in pCO2 (p = 0.003), pO2 (p < 0.001), cH+ (p < 0.001), ctO2 (p < 0.001), COHb (p = 0.03), and HHb (p = 0.004), alongside an increase in pH (p < 0.001). Concurrently, prolactin levels increased significantly (p < 0.001), while cortisol (p < 0.001) and IgA (p < 0.001) decreased. This study is the first to analyze acute changes in capillary blood gas parameters and neuroendocrine balance during Conscious Connected Breathing sessions in cancer patients, revealing measurable immunostimulatory and stress-modulatory effects. The observed shift toward respiratory alkalosis, combined with increased prolactin and decreased cortisol, suggests that CCB may facilitate favorable neuroendocrine-immune interactions. These findings support the potential of breathwork as a complementary therapy for cancer patients. Further research is needed to explore underlying mechanisms and assess long-term psychological and immunological impacts.