Research Area
Utilizing Yoga in Oncologic Patients Treated with Radiotherapy
Research Title
Utilizing Yoga in Oncologic Patients Treated with Radiotherapy: Review
Introduction
The role of radiation therapy (RT) is particularly important for the treatment of many malignancies, since ~60% of cancer patients receive RT as a part of their therapeutic regimen. The RT success depends on the type of cancer, the anatomic affected site, the tumor staging, and the presence of comorbidities. The RT acute and late side effects are of concern, as they can significantly influence the quality of life (QoL).The most common symptoms experienced by patients are mainly pain, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and decreased appetite. The sequelae may continue for a long period even after the RT has ended. Many treated patients decide to use complementary and alternative medicine techniques as an attempt to alleviate their disturbances.
Abstract
Several trials on noncancer population indicate that yoga is associated with meaningful clinical effects. This study evaluated the physical and psychosocial outcomes of yoga in oncologic patients treated with radiotherapy.
Conclusion
The present study has some limitations. We included articles published only in the English language and we may have missed important findings from yoga in Asia, in which yoga practicing is much more common than in Western countries. However, in this retrospective study, we included two trials that were conducted in Asia. We should note that evidence of physical effects of yoga was generally insufficient to draw firm conclusions, because of the limited number of studies per physical result. Nevertheless, the small effect of yoga on physical function and functional well-being maybe related to the short intervention duration. To improve physical function and fitness, longer duration of intervention may be required.
