Mind-Body Practices Proves Benefits for Breast Cancer Patients: How does yoga, reiki, and meditatio

The year 2016 saw approximately 246,660 new cases of breast cancer, with an estimated 40,450 deaths during the same year, which accounted for 6.8 % of all cancer-related deaths in the United States1. In accordance with these results, the S.E.E.R Research group, funded by the National Cancer institute, published a study of the number of new breast cancer cases and deaths per every 100,000 females, years later in 2016. Results of this study are illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 1.0: The study published in 2016 by the S.E.E.R Research group, presented the number of breast cancer diagnoses and cancer deaths per 100,000 US females.

This figure reveals that although the cancer-related deaths has decreased over the past 20 years, this decline is small enough that it can almost be considered negligible in nature. In parallel, the graph of the new cases show to have a very unstable relationship, and proves to have no improvement or decline in the amount of breast cancer cases being discovered each year.

Regardless of these troubling statistics, there is still one positive that can be derived from these numbers, and that is the tiny ratio of deaths to new cases being diagnosed. Out of all new cases diagnosed in 2016, only 16.4 percent resulted in loss of life. The state of the art technology and cutting edge research is a trademark of the entirety of the current decade, and has enable researchers, scientists, and medical professionals, globally, to produce thousands of studies, pharmaceutical remedies, and new treatment methods that has helped to keep this percentage, constant and miniscule. The reality we have come to face in the field of oncology is as simple as this: There may not be a set treatment, but people are being diagnosed, people are surviving and people are recovering, all enabled by our immense advances in modern medicine and the research that this institution is built on. Nonetheless, these technological milestones cannot defend and protect against all detriments of a breast cancer diagnosis.

Although modern research, technologies and advancements have helped to dramatically increase life span, quality of life, and survival rates amongst those diagnosed with breast cancer, it has proven much harder to treat and eventually prevent other biological and psychosocial symptoms and side effects one may contract during an ordeal as such. One of the most common and prevalent side effects amongst women undergoing treatment for breast cancer is high blood pressure (hypertension), since it has been known to interrupt the treatment of the cancer. (REF). According to Dr. Benjamin Sussman of the CTCA of Philadelphia, “High blood pressure can be a common side effect of cancer treatment, particularly chemotherapy and targeted therapies…some chemotherapy agents are worse offenders than others, such as angiogenesis inhibitors, alkylating agents and immunosuppressant drugs after stem cell transplantation.” Additionally, some hormone therapies (e.g., Arimidex®, Aromasin®) can cause high blood pressure” (Sussman 2001). The multi-faceted nature of this condition proves not only hard to treat, but hard to maintain in times like these. In cases of women with breast cancer, a concoction of the essential prescriptions, treatments, and the stress and anxiety that is correlated with this illness, there is a multitude of factors and perpetrators that could be used to explain the increase in blood pressure.

Amidst findings as inconclusive and troubling as these, it is undeniable that there needs to be an alternative treatment method found for the high reactivity and instability of breast cancer treatment drugs. Nonetheless, there has been increasing interest and attention being called to the use of Mindfulness Stress-Based Reduction Programs (MBSR’s) as a solution to this problem.

MBSR’s, such as yoga, reiki, and meditation have been historically known to have a plethora of benefits, such as increasing blood flow to the body, decreasing blood pressure and stress levels, and combat states of depression and anxiety. Since these practices have been known to relieve symptoms such as high blood pressure and height stress levels, there is a growing body of evidence that is forming, supporting the potential connection between MBSR’s and positive mental health and physiological outcomes in breast cancer patients and survivors. In support of this idea, many authors currently publishing papers on the subject, are open encouraging and inviting further research and studies to help gain momentum, credibility and recognition for this ground-breaking new treatment. There is therefore, an increased need to systematically review this literature in order to better inform future interventions and outreach programs in clinical settings aimed at improving recovery outcomes and treatment for breast cancer patients and survivors. In response to these invitations by other established authors, the proposed study looks to extend on the research being done currently, by using a systematic review and a meta-analysis to explore the potential benefits of using MBSR’s to facilitate, and treat patients with breast cancer.