RCT of an Online MBSR Intervention with Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients
Jennifer Hydeman, Carrie Ernhout, Kristopher Attwood, Chi-Chen Hong
preprint DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1405835/v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Population | Patients diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) |
| Duration | 6-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | The 6-week online MBSR intervention significantly improved mindfulness and several psychological and quality-of-life indices in metastatic breast cancer patients, but did not affect biomarkers of stress or inflammation. |
Abstract
Abstract PurposeThe diagnosis and treatment of cancer can result in an array of psychological and physical sequelae for patients. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a well-validated intervention aimed at reducing emotional distress and improving long-term treatment effects in cancer patients. Further studies employing more powerful control group designs are needed to validate MBSR in patients with advanced disease and in novel clinical settings that facilitate enrollment. Patients diagnosed with metastatic disease are highly impacted by their disease and treatment and are an under-examined high-risk population.
Methods: This study aimed to determine the efficacy of a 6-week modified online MBSR intervention in improving psychological and physical symptoms associated with quality-of-life, as well as biomarkers associated with their disease trajectory, in patients diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer.
Results: The 6-week online intervention was found to significantly improve measures of mindfulness and several psychological/quality of life indices. There were no intervention effects on biomarkers of stress or inflammation, although improved levels of mindfulness due to the intervention were negatively correlated with several pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, IL-8, and TNFα. Patients indicated high satisfaction with the content and delivery method of the intervention.
Conclusions: Addressing the multidimensional needs of metastatic patients requires service delivery models that integrate powerful interventions into care settings while minimizing participant burden. This study developed a novel online MBSR treatment for distressed metastatic breast cancer patients that was found to be effective in improving mindfulness and several areas pertinent to patient quality of life.