Mindfulness based stress reduction provides psychological benefit and restores immune function of women newly diagnosed with breast cancer: A randomized trial with active control.

Women newly diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer who participated in an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program showed greater reductions in perceived stress, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and depressive symptoms compared to those in an active control condition of cancer recovery and health education classes. The MBSR group also exhibited faster restoration of natural killer cell activity, lower TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels, and greater IFN-gamma production over the study period. These results suggest that early MBSR provision benefits both psychological well-being and immune function relevant to cancer control.

Study at a glance

Abstract

BACKGROUND Women newly diagnosed with breast cancer experience psychological distress, accompanied by reduced Natural Killer Cell Activity (NKCA) and altered levels of cytokines, which may compromise cancer control. Few studies have evaluated psycho-immune outcomes of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for women newly diagnosed with breast cancer in comparison to an active control condition. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine whether MBSR benefits psychological, behavioral, and immunological function in women recently diagnosed with breast cancer. DESIGN After confirmation of breast cancer staging, women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer (n = 192) were randomized to an 8-week MBSR program or an 8-week active control condition (ACC). The ACC consisted of a series of cancer recovery and health education classes. Both MBSR and the ACC were administered in group format. METHODS Women completed psychometric instruments and provided blood for NKCA and cytokine levels at pre-, mid-, and completion of program, as well as at 1- and 6-months post-program. One hundred and twenty four women completed all five-assessments (MBSR, n = 63; ACC, n = 61). Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyze trajectories of outcomes over time and between groups. RESULTS Compared to the ACC group, women randomized to MBSR exhibited decreasing trajectories of perceived stress, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and depressive symptoms. Further, compared to women randomized to ACC, MBSR women exhibited trajectories demonstrating significantly more rapid restoration of NKCA, accompanied by lower circulating TNF-alpha levels, lower IL-6 production, and greater IFN-gamma production. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate early provision of MBSR for women newly diagnosed with breast cancer provides not only psychological benefit, but also optimizes immune function supportive of cancer control.