Comparing the Impact of Four Types of Meditation Practices for Relaxation in Cancer Survivors

Launched by CITY OF HOPE MEDICAL CENTER · Jul 9, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is exploring how different types of meditation can help cancer survivors relax and manage stress. The researchers are comparing four meditation practices: breathing exercises, focused attention, mindfulness, and a combination of all three. Many cancer survivors experience anxiety and stress after their treatment, and this study aims to see if meditation can improve their overall health and sense of well-being.

To participate, you must be at least 18 years old, speak English or Spanish, and have had surgery for cancer more than six months ago without receiving chemotherapy or radiation. Participants should not have any extensive prior experience with relaxation techniques like meditation or yoga. If eligible, you will be asked to complete some questionnaires, provide a saliva sample, and wear a special device to monitor your relaxation levels during the study. This trial is currently recruiting participants, and it could be a wonderful opportunity to explore how meditation might enhance your quality of life after cancer treatment.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Documented written informed consent of the participant
• • Age: ≥ 18 years
• • Ability to understand and fluently speak English or Spanish
• • No previous training in mind-body relaxation techniques including meditation, yoga, tai chi, qigong, guided imagery, mindfulness-based stress reduction, hypnosis, or cognitive behavior therapy, that exceeds 3 hours. Additionally, no regular practice of mind-body relaxation techniques, or formal experience with mind-body relaxation techniques within the past 12 months
• • Visual Analog Scale (VAS) anxiety score of \> 3 from a range from 0 to 10. A "0" means the lowest anxiety score and a "10" means the highest anxiety score
• • Long-term cancer survivors who received surgery to treat their cancer ( \> 6 months since last treatment) with no history of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or other systemic therapy (e.g., hormonal therapy) and/or have completely recovered from surgery OR patients identified as having pre-cancerous lesions that have been surgically treated (e.g., colon polyp that has been removed)
• * Willingness to:
• • Provide salivary alpha-amylase sample
• • Complete stress tests and study questionnaires
• • Be monitored with a Bispectral Index (BIS) device
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Inability to complete study required time and procedures as outlined in the study procedures section of the protocol
• • Must not have had previous serious illnesses that affect neurological functioning such as strokes, heart attacks, Parkinson disease, etc
• • Ongoing active psychiatric condition, depressive/bi-polar related disorders, anxiety, psychosis disorders, or substance use that may interfere with the study including panic disorder, major depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disease
• • Active cancer
• • Cancer survivors who have received chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or any other systemic treatment (e.g., hormonal therapy)
• • Women who are pregnant