Ülger, O., & Yagli, N.V. (2010). Effects of yoga on the quality of life in cancer patients. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 16, 60–63.

To investigate the effects of yoga on patients with breast cancer to help them cope with the treatment process and reduce social isolation

Patients were given eight sessions of classical yoga twice a week in a physical therapy department. Each session lasted one hour, including warm up and breathing exercises, asanas, relaxation, and medication. Study data were collected before and after treatment. All sessions were taught by one yoga physiotherapist, and all assessments were done by another yoga teacher.

• The study reported on a sample of 20 female patients.
• Mean patient age was 41.6 years (SD = 6.17 years).
• All patients had breast cancer and had received chemotherapy. At least six months had passed since completion of chemotherapy.

• Single site
• Outpatient setting
• Turkey

Patients were undergoing the transition phase of care after initial treatment.

A prospective trial with a pre/post-test design was used.

• State-Trait Anxiety Inventory
• Visual analog scale for satisfaction
• Nottingham Health Profile (NHP): for quality-of-life measure

State and trait anxiety significantly declined from baseline after the yoga intervention (p = 0.001). All NHP parameters improved after the yoga sessions, including energy level, pain, sleep, emotional level, social adaptation, and physical skills.

Participation in yoga sessions was associated with reduced anxiety and improved quality-of-life scores after initial cancer treatment in these patients with breast cancer.

• The study had a small sample size, with less than 30 participants.
• No demographic information to describe the sample other than age was provided, so relevant sample characteristics are not known.
• It is not clear if yoga sessions were done in groups or individually.
• There was no comparison or control group, and it has been shown that anxiety and other symptoms tend to decline over time, so it is not known if changes seen here were due to time or the intervention as well.
• The measure used for quality of life is somewhat questionable, as the instrument is not generally used to measure quality of life, and application in cancer survivors was not discussed.

Findings suggest that yoga may be helpful for patients with cancer to reduce stress and improve overall fitness and ability to relax.