Chan-Chuang qigong with breathing meditation improves quality of life and interoceptive awareness in patients with breast cancer: a randomised controlled trial.

A 15-week program of Chan-Chuang qigong with breathing meditation improved emotional function and interoceptive self-regulation in patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. In a randomized controlled trial, the qigong group showed significantly improved emotional function and decreased role function at week 15 compared to the control group. The qigong group also reported significantly better self-regulation on the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness. Within the qigong group, changes occurred in attention regulation, emotional awareness, self-regulation, and body listening. The authors propose that the practice helps patients adjust to their role identity and increase body awareness.

Study at a glance

Abstract

To evaluate the effect of Chan-Chuang qigong with breathing meditation on quality of life (QoL) and interoceptive awareness in patients with breast cancer during chemotherapy. This was a randomised controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned to a qigong group (n = 30), which practised Chan-Chuang qigong with breathing meditation for 15 weeks, and a control group (n = 30), which received routine care. Outcomes were measured by using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QoL Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA-C). The qigong group, when compared with the control group and baseline, exhibited significantly improved emotional function (p = 0.01) and decreased role function (p = 0.04) at week 15. The MAIA-C indicated a significant difference between groups in self-regulation at week 15 (p = 0.04). Within the qigong group, changes were found in attention regulation (p = 0.03), emotional awareness (p = 0.04), self-regulation (p = 0.01), and body listening (p = 0.002). A 15-week programme of Chan-Chuang qigong with breathing meditation is a simple and safe intervention for patients with breast cancer to improve their emotional function and adjust to their role identity. Participants who practised qigong achieved increased awareness of their own bodies and were able to better regulate their emotion and attention. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05385146.