Mindfulness-based stress reduction for integrative cancer care: a summary of evidence.
Frauke Musial, Arndt Büssing, Peter Heusser, Kyung-Eun Choi, Thomas Ostermann
Forschende Komplementarmedizin (2006) 2011 DOI: 10.1159/000330714 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis Randomized Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Cancer patients |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | MBSR improved quality of life (effect size 0.29), mood (0.42), and reduced distress (0.58) in cancer patients. The authors argue for more high-quality RCTs with better controls and follow-up. |
Abstract
This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the relevant existing evidence, and critically appraises the use of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in cancer care. Furthermore, a meta-analysis was conducted in order to investigate the effect of MBSR on quality of life (QoL), mood, and distress. Besides 6 reviews (5 systematic, 1 meta-analytic) which are reported separately, a total of 19 original research papers fully met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review. The 19 original papers consisted of 5 randomised controlled trials (RCTs), 4 non-randomised controlled trials (NRCTs), 9 observational studies (OS) and 1 two-arm observational study. The included outcome measures were QoL, mood, and distress. Cohen's effect size d was computed for each category. Estimating the effect on QoL, a total of n = 248 patients out of 6 studies was included and the overall effect size was 0.29 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.17-0.40; p ≤ 0.00005). Calculating the effect on mood, a total of n = 411 patients out of ten studies were included, and the overall effect size was 0.42 (95% CI 0.26-0.58; p < 0.0001). Reduction in distress revealed an overall effect size of 0.58 (95% CI 0.45-0.72; p < 0.0001; n = 587 patients out of 15 studies). MBSR programmes can improve QoL and mood, and reduce distress in cancer patients. However, there is an urgent need for more high quality RCTs implementing adequate controls, longer follow-up periods, sufficient samples sizes, clear descriptions of patients' psychological profiles, and the accompanying utilisation of qualitative measures.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 17
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Physical Conditions: A Narrative Review Evaluating Levels of Evidence ISRN Psychiatry November 14, 2012
- The impact of mindfulness-based interventions on symptom burden, positive psychological outcomes, and biomarkers in cancer patients Cancer Management and Research June 1, 2015
- Web-Based Mindfulness Interventions for People With Physical Health Conditions: Systematic Review Journal of Medical Internet Research August 31, 2017
- A Mindfulness Breast Care App to reduce body image distress and stigma for breast cancer survivors: Development and preliminary quality assessment. International Journal of Nursing Sciences May 1, 2025
- Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of an App-Based Mindfulness Breast Care Program for Reducing Body Image Distress and Stigma Among Survivors of Breast Cancer: Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research April 24, 2026
and 12 more in the library
Cites 36
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2000
- Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders American Journal of Psychiatry July 1, 1992
- A Randomized, Wait-List Controlled Clinical Trial: The Effect of a Mindfulness Meditation-Based Stress Reduction Program on Mood and Symptoms of Stress in Cancer Outpatients Psychosomatic Medicine September 1, 2000
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2003
and 31 more in the library