Evidence for the Role of Mindfulness in Cancer: Benefits and Techniques.
Ria Mehta, Kirti Sharma, Louis Potters, A Gabriella Wernicke, Bhupesh Parashar
Cureus May 9, 2019 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.4629 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Mindfulness |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Stress Cancer Pain Techniques Fatigue |
| Key findings | The authors report that mindfulness practices are increasingly used in cancer management and that clinical trial data show benefits for treatment-related adverse effects and symptoms of cancer progression, with possible cost-effectiveness relative to conventional management. They also describe commonly used mindfulness techniques. |
Abstract
Mindfulness is being used increasingly in various aspects of cancer management. Benefits of mindfulness practices are being observed to manage the adverse effects of treatment, symptoms from cancer progression, and the cost-effectiveness compared to conventional contemporary management strategies. In this review article, we present clinical trial data showing the benefits of mindfulness in various aspects of cancer management as well as techniques that have been commonly used in this practice.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- Mindfulness-integrated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy reduces pain and psychological distress, and improves equanimity, hope and post-traumatic growth during breast cancer treatment: A pilot randomized controlled trial. European journal of oncology nursing : the official journal of European Oncology Nursing Society June 1, 2025
- Shared meditation involving cancer patients, health professionals and third persons is relevant and improves well-being: IMPLIC pilot study BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies May 18, 2022
- Meditation for the reduction of perioperative anxiety in patients undergoing oncology surgery: A scoping review. Asia-Pacific journal of oncology nursing August 1, 2024
- “Live the Present Moment!”—Developing the 100-I-K Scale to Examine the Relationship Between Mindfulness and Stoic Attitude Mindfulness November 1, 2024
- Effect of Mindfulness-Based Program and Perceived Self-Efficacy for Patients with Lung Cancer: An Intervention Study Egyptian Journal of Health Care May 25, 2026
and 4 more in the library
Cites 16
- Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders American Journal of Psychiatry July 1, 1992
- Cognitively-Based Compassion Training (CBCT®) in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Clinical Trial Study. Integrative Cancer Therapies April 22, 2018
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is cost-effective compared to a wait-list control for persistent pain in women treated for primary breast cancer-Results from a randomized controlled trial. Psycho-Oncology December 2017
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction added to care as usual for lung cancer patients and/or their partners: A multicentre randomized controlled trial. Psycho-Oncology December 2017
- Mindfulness practice reduces cortisol blunting during chemotherapy: A randomized controlled study of colorectal cancer patients. Cancer August 15, 2017
and 11 more in the library