Yoga Reduces Anxiety and Insomnia in Cancer Survivors, Study Finds
7 verified6 unconfirmed
A clinical trial presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting found that a structured yoga program can reduce emotional distress, anxiety, fatigue, and insomnia in people living with cancer. The study, funded by the National Cancer Institute, involved 410 cancer survivors in the United States who had not practiced yoga in the prior three months. Participants were randomly assigned to receive standard survivorship care alone or standard care plus the Yoga for Cancer Survivors (YOCAS) program, a four-week intervention combining gentle hatha and restorative yoga with breathing exercises and mindfulness. The majority of participants were female breast-cancer survivors with an average age of 54. Compared to the standard care group, those who practiced yoga reported meaningful improvements in overall mood disturbance, anxiety, and fatigue. Researchers noted that these improvements also appeared to influence reductions in insomnia among participants, offering a non-pharmaceutical option for managing multiple common side effects of cancer treatment.
What’s verified
The trial enrolled 410 cancer survivors, with 204 receiving standard care alone and 206 receiving standard care plus the YOCAS yoga program.
The YOCAS program is a four-week intervention that uses gentle hatha and restorative yoga poses, breathing exercises, and mindfulness.
Participants in the yoga group reported less overall mood disturbance, anxiety, fatigue, and insomnia compared to the standard care group.
The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute.
The majority of participants were female breast-cancer survivors.
The findings were presented at the ASCO annual meeting and reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Dr. Fumiko Chino, a cancer researcher at MD Anderson Cancer Center, called the trial “an important advance” for offering a non-drug solution for multiple side effects.
Not yet confirmed
Specific effect sizes (e.g., “moderate-to-large” and “small-to-medium”) were reported by only one source.
Details of the yoga practice schedule (two 75-minute classes plus home practice vs. 180 minutes per week over three sessions) come from single reports.
The claim that up to 95% of cancer survivors experience sleep disturbances appears in only one source.
Lead study author Yuri Choi’s comment appears in only one source.
Comments from Dr. Timothy Pearman and cancer survivor Shari Botwin appear in only one source.
Questions not answered by any source: How long do the benefits persist after the four-week program? How do results compare for survivors of cancers other than breast cancer?
Key figures
Dr. Fumiko Chino – cancer researcher and associate professor in breast radiation oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center and ASCO expert in survivorship
Yuri Choi – lead study author and research assistant professor at the University of Rochester medical center
Dr. Timothy Pearman – director of supportive oncology at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University
Shari Botwin – licensed clinical social worker and thyroid-cancer survivor
Sources: The Guardian, foxnews.com
